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THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


9^-9.  3^ 

l.  %  g_  ai 


RESPECTFULLY  DEDICATED 

TO  THE 


Surviving  Members  of  tiie  Lee  Family, 


by  the  editor. 


580467 


| In 

tDangUjr. 


OF  THE 


LEE  FAM I E\ 


VIRGINIA  AND  MARYLAND 

FROM  A.D.  1300  TO  A.D.  1 866 


WITH  NOTES  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS 

EDITED  BY  EDWARD  C.  MEAD 


NEW  YORK 

RICHARDSON  AND  COMPANY 
1  868 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1868,  by 
RICHARDSON  AND  COMPANY, 

In  the  Clerk’s  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern  District  of  New  York. 


Press’  of  Geo.  C.  Rand  &  Avery,  3  Cornhill,  Boston. 


(tpTQ HIS  ancient  genealogy,  accompanied  by  an  original  coat- 
:\§j)  of-arms,  has  long  slumbered  among  the  old  family  papers 
of  the  compiler  of  this  work.  Its  authenticity  is  undoubted. 
The  sad  war  that  for  four  years  darkened  our  land  developed  in 
the  North  and  South  instances  of  personal  heroism  that  make 
a  part  of  the  moral  history  of  the  world. 

Although  the  cause  of  which  he  was  the  military  leader  was 
a  failure,  the  name  of  Gen.  Robert  E.  Lee  is  universally  respected 
at  the  North  and  in  Europe;  while  at  the  South  it  is  almost  rev¬ 
erenced,  especially  by  the  soldiers  he  commanded  and  the  officers 
who  served  under  him.  That  he  has  proved  himself  a  soldier, 
“  without  fear,  and  without  reproach,”  is  universally  conceded ; 
that  he  is  a  Christian  gentleman  and  patriot,  all  who  know  him 
will  bear  willing  testimony.  To  such  a  man,  the  “pomp  of 
heraldry”  has  but  few  attractions ;  but  his  name,  whether  linked 
with  success  or  misfortune,  is  an  unblemished  one,  and  already 
belongs  to  history.  This  record  of  genealogical  notes  and  inci¬ 
dents,  therefore,  is  offered  to  the  public  as  material  for  the 
historian,  and  as  a  tribute  of  respect  to  an  old  and  honored  revo¬ 
lutionary  name. 

EDWARD  C.  MEAD. 


vii 


“  Broad  Oak,”  near  Keswick, 
Albemarle  County,  Va.,  May  31,  1866. 


■ 


)HE  family  of  Lee  is  one  of  the  most  ancient  in  A. d.  1066 
the  records  of  the  English  Peerage  ;  and  its  gen-  to  I3°2- 
ealogy  can  be  traced  back  to  the  earliest  history  of  our  own  and 
our  mother  country. 

In  the  eleventh  century,  we  find  the  name  of  Launcelot  Lee, 
Loudon,  France,  as  an  honored  associate  of  William  the  Con¬ 
queror,  going  over  to  England  with  that  chieftain,  and  distinguish¬ 
ing  himself  at  the  battle  of  Hastings. 

We  thus  learn  that  the  family  was  of  Norman  origin,  which 
is  confirmed  by  the  Christian  names  of  many  of  its  branches. 
The  following  brief  notice  of  Launcelot  Lee  is  extracted  from 
an  old  manuscript  once  in  the  possession  of  the  Rev.  William 
F.  Lee  of  Virginia:  — 

“  The  Lee  Family  of  Virginia  is  the  youngest  branch  of  one 
of  the  oldest  families  of  England.  Launcelot  Lee,  the  founder, 
came  originally  from  Loudon,  France.  He  went  over  to  England 
with  William  the  Conqueror.  After  the  battle  of  Hastings,  when 
the  estates  of  the  native  English  nobility  were  divided  among  the 
followers  of  William,  a  fine  estate  in  Essex  was  bestowed  upon 
him. 


9 


io 


INTRODUCTION. 


“  Lionel  Lee.  first  Earl  of  Litchfield,  raised  a  com- 

A.D.  1 1Q2.  .  _  , 

panv  of  ‘  gentlemen  cavaliers,' at  the  head  of  which  he 
accompanied  Richard  Cceur  de  Lion  in  the  third  Crusade, 
a.d.  119a.  For  gallant  conduct  at  the  siege  of  Acre,  he  was 
made  Earl  of  Litchfield,  and  another  estate  was  given  to  the 
family,  which  was  afterwards  called  ‘  Ditchly.'  The  armor  worn 
by  Lionel  Lee  may  be  seen  in  the  Horse  Armory  of  the  Tower 
of  London. 

"  Richard  Lee  accompanied  the  unfortunate  Earl  of  Surrey  in 
his  expedition  against  the  Scotch  borders,  in  1542.  Two  of  the 
Lee  Family  have  been  Knights  of  the  Garter;  and  their  banners, 
surmounted  by  the  Lee  arms,  may  be  seen  in  St.  George's 
Chapel,  Windsor  Castle.  The  Lee  arms  consist  of  a  shield, 
bend  sinister,  battled  and  embattled  ;  crest  —  a  closed  visor,  sur¬ 
mounted  by  a  squirrel  holding  a  nut,  with  the  motto,  '‘Non 
incautus  futuri'.  " 

In  comparing  the  above  extract  with  the  old  genealogy  in 
our  hands,  and  with  other  English  records,  we  find  some  slight 
discrepancies :  they  are  unimportant,  but  will  be  hereafter  noted. 
The  manuscript  evidently  refers  to  another  branch  of  the  Lee 
Family,  distinct  from  the  one  we  are  attempting  to  trace,  since 
we  nowhere  find  in  the  latter  the  name  of  Lionel  Lee,  nor  anv 
reference  to  the  family  seal  of  Ditchly.  It  will  be 

A.D.  120a  _  , 

recollected  that  this  family  estate  of  Ditchly  is  men¬ 
tioned  in  Sir  Walter  Scott's  novel  of  “  Woodstock "  as  the 
home  of  Sir  Henry  Lee;  still,  as  the  coat-of-arms  which  we 
present  closely  resembles  that  described  in  the  above  manu¬ 
script.  it  shows  that  the  Lees  of  Langly  and  Cotton,  in  Shrop¬ 
shire.  descended  from  the  same  ancestry,  though  diverging  in 
different  lateral  branches. 


INTRODUCTION. 


I  I 

The  present  old  genealogy  commences  about  the  ^ 
close  of '  the  eleventh  century,  and  continues,  in  a  direct 
line,  to  the  year  1663,  from  which  date  we  have  endeavored  to 
trace  it  to  the  present  time.  We  have  tried  to  do  this  with 
perfect  accuracy ;  but,  should  any  link  be  found  rusted  or 
broken,  it  must  be  attributed  to  the  wear  and  tear  of  time,  and 
not  to  any  want  of  care  on  our  part. 

It  is  observed  that  the  name  first  appears  in  the  genealogical 
table  as  Lega,  or  De  Le,  but  gradually  assumes  the  present  form 
of  Lee.  This  change  is  much  less  than  is  usually  found  in 
the  descent  and  transmission  of  Norman  names,  the  originals 
of  which  are  often  nearly  lost  in  the  successive  transformations. 
At  the  time  of  the  Conquest,  family  names  were  rarely  used. 
The  “  Red,”  “  Beau-Clerc,”  “  Cceur  dc  Lion,”  or  some  character¬ 
istic  trait  or  feature,  was  adopted  by  distinguished  leaders  and 
their  families,  until  the  heraldic  crest  or  shield  (on  which  they 
were  borne)  became  overloaded  by  these  family  escutcheons  : 
titles  then  were  instituted,  suggested  either  by  the  birth-place  of 
the  chief,  or  by  some  office  held  at  court. 

The  nearest  approach  to  a  family  name  was  the  assumption 
of  the  father's  Christian  name  in  addition  to  his  own,  by  which 
a  man  who  had  no  other  designation  announced  his  Norman 
descent.  The  only  description  of  surnames  known  among  the 
English  at  this  -  time  seems  to  have  been  some  epithet  descrip¬ 
tive  of  personal  character,  though  the  people  ordinarily  had  but 
one  name.  When  the  Normans  began  to  take  second  names, 
which  usually  had  the  prefix  De,  Le,  or  Fitz  [fils,  son),  it  was 
esteemed  a  mark  of  plebeian  extraction  to  have  but  one  name. 

The  word  “  Lee  ”  is  from  Leaz,  plain  or  untilled  land,  probably 


12 


INTRODUCTION. 


descriptive  of  the  aspect  of  the  country  in  which  the 

A.D.  1200. 

family  lived :  Lcga ,  which  seems  here  to  be  the  origi¬ 
nal,  is  doubtless  from  Lcgra,  a  small  ancient  village  in  Shrop¬ 
shire. 

The  family  wras  doubtless  extensive,  even  at  this  early  period 
of  history ;  for  we  find  the  names,  Lcga ,  De  Le,  and  even  Lee , 
frequently  occurring  in  “  The  Doomsday  Book,”  which  was 
compiled  soon  after  the  Conquest.  We  also  find  frequent  refer¬ 
ence  to  the  Lees  in  “The  Rotuli  Curias  Regis,”  or  Rolls  of  the 
Court  of  Pleas,  as  given  during  the  reigns  of  Richard  I.  and 
King  John. 

We  give  interesting  extracts  from  some  of  these  suits,  which 
are  found  in  “  The  Rotuli  Curiae  :  ”  — 

“  Ephraim  Dulms,  against  Gilbertus  de  la  Leg  a,  for  a  plea  of 
land,  was  respited  until  the  15th,  or  St.  John’s  Day,  because  the 
said  Gilbertus  was  in  the  king’s  service  :  by  order  of  the  king, 
beyond  the  sea  (France).  This  suit  is  again  respited,  sine  die , 
while  the  said  Gilbertus  remains  in  the  king’s  service.”  * 

In  another  suit,  the  wife  of  Gilbertus  is  mentioned,  whose 
name  was  Matilda.  We  also  meet  with  the  names  of  Germinus 
de  Lega ,  Reginaldus  de  Lcga,  Robert  de  la  Leg ,  or  Lcga ,  Adam 
de  Lega ,  and  William  de  Lega .  Of  the  last  (William),  it  is  re¬ 
corded,  “  Contributed  a  half-mark f  for  the  benefit  of  the  Church.” 
We  often  find  the  single  name  of  Lee  and  Lega  used  as  denoting 
the  same  family. 

In  the  Lincolnshire  term,  Robert  de  Takhurst  (beyond  the 
sea),  in  the  king’s  service,  sustains  a  suit  against  Rodolphus 
de  Bradclee,  for  Gilhertus  de  Lee ,  for  a  plea  of  land.  Also 

*  See  Rotuli  Curia,  vol.  i.  p.  180-387. 
t  The  mark  was  .a  silver  coin  of  13s.  4&  sterling. 


INTRODUCTION. 


13 


“  Henrici  de  Lee  appears  on  the  fourth  day  of  the  assizes, 

A.D.  1200. 

against  Richard  de  Lee ,  on  a  plea  for  a  ‘caricuri’  of 
land  situated  in  Leicestershire.  Richard  not  appearing,  it  was 
decreed  that  the  land  should  be  held  under  the  king;  and  Rich¬ 
ard  was  summoned  to  appear  at  Westminster,  on  St.  John’s  Day, 
to  make  whatever  appeal  necessary.” 

The  abbreviations  Le ,  Lee ,  Leg ,  and  Legh ,  each  stood  for  Lee, 
as  we  find,  — 

Henricus  de  Le, 

Rodolphus  de  la  Lee, 

Ricardus  de  la  Lee, 


A.D.  126S. 


which  are  of  the  same  family ;  their  names  evidently  having 
.^jpeen  written  at  different  periods  and  places,  varied  with  the 
changes  of  time  and  language.  As  we  approach  a  later  period, 
the  name  assumes  its  more  definite  shape. 

From  “  The  Fine  Rolls,”  or  “  Rotuli  Finem,”  as  preserved  in 
the  Tower  of  London,  which  give  a  succinct  history 
of  each  individual  case,  from  the  sixth  year  of  King 
John  to  Edward  IV.,  we  are  able  to  deduce  much  interesting 
matter  connected  with  the  Lees,  as  well  as  with  the  families  with 
which  they  intermarried. 

“William  de  la  Le  (or  Lee)  and  Alicia  gave  it  half-mark  for 
a  writ  from  the  king’s  bench  for  a  hundred  of  land  in  the  county 
of  Wiltshire.” 


f 

“  The  king  also  took  homage  of  Henrici  de  Le,  son  and  heir 
of  Johannes  de  Lee,  deceased  (who  held  lands  under  the  king’s 
head),  for  all  tenants  which  his  father,  the  said  Johannes,  held 
under  the  king;  and  that  the  said  lands  and  tenants  be  returned 
to  him.  It  was  ordered  that  the  Escheator  of  Lancashire  take 


14 


INTRODUCTION. 


security  of  the  aforesaid  Henry,  on  account  of  the  kine, 
for  the  return  of  the  said  lands  and  tenants,”  upon 
which  conditions,  it  seems,  they  were  released  to  him. 

We  next  find  “  Henrici  de  Lega ,  who,  with  his  wife  Eugenia, 
gave  one  mark  for  a  hearing  before  the  assizes  of  Eborasci ;  ” 
and  again,  we  find  that  “  the  king  respited  Roger  de  Lcye ,  or 
Lee ,  until  the  Easter  term  following,  for  a  debt  or  fine  of  £70 
for  a  hundred  of  land.”  He  is  respited  until  the  Easter  term 
following ;  and  the  barons  are  ordered  to  “  conform  to  this 
decree,  which  is  given  at  Windsor,  Nov.  10,  1268.” 

The  names  of  Johannes,  Ricardus,  and  Phillipus  Lee,  continue 
to  be  repeatedly  mentioned  on  these  rolls,  which  agree  so  nearly 
in  time  and  circumstances  with  those  of  the  old  genealogy  now 
presented,  as  to  show  the  identity  not  only  of  the  family,  but 
even  of  the  persons. 

The  family  seat  of  the  Lees,  at  this  date,  we  are  un- 

A.D.  1269. 

able  definitely  to  locate,  though  Burke,  in  his  “  Landed 
Gentry  ”  of  England,  says,  “  Cotton  Hall,  the  ancient  family  seat 
of  the  Lees,  descended  from  father  to  son  from  the  reign  of  Ed¬ 
ward  I.  to  the  eighteenth  century,”  which,  we  may  suppose,  was 
the  family  seat  of  the  Lees  at  the  time  this  genealogy  com¬ 
mences.  Essex  was  the  county  first  settled  by  Launcelot  Lee ; 
and  Ditchly,  the  home  of  that  branch  of  the  Lees.  It  was  the 
manor  of  Sir  Henry  Lee,  Esq.,  of  Ouarendon,  Buckinghamshire, 
who  was  created  Earl  of  Litchfield,  on  the  2juJ  May,  1611,  which 
is  the  first  earldom  of  that  place  we  find  recorded.  He  was 
succeeded  by  his  son,  Sir  Edward  Henry  Lee,  Baronet,  who  was 
created  Baron  of  Spelsbury,  Viscount  Quarendon,  and  Earl  of 
Litchfield,  5th  January,  1674.  With  him  the  title  became  extinct. 


INTRODUCTION. 


15 


The  Lees  of  England  were  zealous  supporters  of  the 

A.D.  1269. 

Stuarts.  We  find  many  of  the  names  recorded  in  our 
present  genealogy  among  those  holding  office  and  important 
positions  under  the  crown  during  the  reign  of  that  unfortu¬ 
nate  family.  There  is  a  record  of  two  distinguished  persons  in 
connection  with  the  formation  of  this  genealogy,  —  of  Sir  William 
Dugdale,  Clarencieux-at-arms,  who  made  a  “visitation”  to  Shrop¬ 
shire  in  1663,*  and  of  Richard  Lee ,  who  was  also  Clarencieux- 
at-arms  in  the  year  1594.  This  latter  was  unquestionably  one 
of  the  Lee  Family,  and  possibly  originated  the  record. 


\ 


With  this  introductory  notice,  we  now  present  this  ancient 
genealogical  record.  We  have  endeavored  to  increase  its  inter¬ 
est  by  adding  such  links  and  facts  as  we  have  been  able  to  collect 
by  correspondence  with  those  connected  with  the  family,  and  by 
diligent  search  through  such  volumes  of  ancient  English  history 

and  heraldry  as  the  principal  libraries  of  our  country  afford. 

.  ■ 

The  numbers  in  brackets  refer  the  reader  to  remarks  which 
are  to  be  found  in  the  Appendix. 


*  See  Ilarleian  Manuscripts. 


ms  of  the  Hoe  fgamilg. 


f;N  Europe,  during  the  primeval  ages,  as  early  as  a.d.  800, 
>  heraldry  was  the  only  conventional  method  of  distinguishing 
families,  and  even  nations,  and  their  representatives.  So  neces¬ 
sary  was  it  in  the  absence  of  a  more  enlightened  mode  of 
distinction,  that  it  was  reduced,  at  an  early  period,  to  a  science, 
for  the  designation  of  both  private  and  public  dignity.  A  sim¬ 
ple  device,  characteristic  of  the  person  or  family,  was  usually 
worn.  The  heraldic  crest,  shield,  and  supporters  were  not 
merely  confined  to  the  heads  of  governments,  but  were  also 
adopted  by  each  family  of  hereditary  eminence  who  aspired  to 
distinction ;  and  thus,  in  time,  the  escutcheon  held  a  more  potent 
sway  than  the  cross  of  the  middle  ages. 

Amid  the  many  and  various-colored  devices  which  were 
adopted  and  added  to  the  shield  by  intermarriage  or  promotion, 
there  would  always  be  one  distinguishing  feature  to  show  the 
origin  of  the  family,  which  was  usually  denoted  by  the  crest. 
This  would  be  handed  down  to  their  posterity  as  a  sacred  object, 
never  to  be  lost  sight  of;  and  thus  the  parent  stock  would  always 
be  retained  amid  the  complicity  of  symbolic  forms  of  successive 
ages,  and  could  readily  be  traced  to  its  original  source. 

2  I 


ARMS  OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


2  2 

From  the  many  works  on  heraldry,  we  find  several  forms  and 
descriptions  of  the  Lee  arms,  each  of  which  vary  in  minor 
particulars,  though  retaining  one  distinguishing  feature ;  viz.,  the 
crest,  representing  a  squirrel  eating  a  nut.  This  single  heredi¬ 
tary  mark  is  still  borne  upon  the  family  plate  of  the  Lees  of 
Virginia,  and  can  be  traced  as  far  back  as  we  have  a  record 
of  the  family. 

The  old  genealogical  document  has  given  us  two  sets  of  col¬ 
ored  arms,  one  for  each  branch  of  the  family,  exact  copies  of 
which  are  given  in  the  frontispiece  to  this  work. 

The  arms  here  given  are  those  of  Alliance,  as  indicating 
intermarriage  of  families,  and,  when  adopted,  were  called  an 
Escutcheon  of  Pretence  when  the  bride  was  an  heiress. 

In  our  introductory  remarks,  a  description  of  the  Lee  arms, 
of  the  House  of  Litchfield,  is  given ;  which  consist  of  “  a  shield, 
bend  sinister,  battled  and  embattled;  crest  —  a  closed  visor,  sur¬ 
mounted  by  a  squirrel  holding  a  nut,  with  the  motto, — 

‘  Non  incautus  futuril  ” 

The  only  resemblance  here  is  the  squirrel.  In  Mr.  William 
Berry’s  “  Heraldic  Encyclopaedia,”  the  Lee  arms  of  Langly 
are  thus  given  :  — 

“  Gules  (red)  fesse ;  compony  or  (gold),  and  azure  (blue),  be¬ 
tween  eight  billets  argent  (white).  Crest  —  on  a  staff  raguly,  a 
squirrel  cracking  a  nut;  from  dexter  end  of  staff,  an  oak-branch 
fructed,  all  ppr.” 

Another  is  given  also  of  the  same  family,  though  a  different 
branch :  — 

“  Gules  fesse  counter  compony  or,  and  argent,  between  thirteen 
billets,  seven  in  chief  and  six  in  base  of  last.” 


ARMS  OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


23 


Another  is  given, — 

“ Arge7^t,  a  chevron  between  three  leopards’  heads,  sable 
(black).” 

The  Lee  arms  of  Sussex  are  thus  given  :  — 

“ Azure  (blue),  a  lion  rampant  guardant.  Argent;  crest  —  a 
stag’s  head  erased  or  (gold).” 

We  observe  the  similarity  in  each  of  these  to  that  we  are 
discussing ;  the  only  difference  being,  that  our  original  contains 
fourteen  billets,  seven  above  and  below  the  fesse. 

Of  the  Lees  of  Cotton,  Burke,  in  his  “  British  Commoners,” 
gives  almost  an  exact  drawing  of  the  arms  as  shown  in  our  old 
document,  and  which  he  thus  describes:  — 

“The  arms  of  Lee  of  Cotton  are  quarterly.  1st  and  4th, 
Gules  (red)  a  fesse,  checkee  or  and  azure ,  between  six  billets 
argent.  2d,  Party-per-bend  indented  gules  and  or ,  two  fleurs- 
de-lis.  3d,  Vert  (green)  —  a  cross  engraileel ;  argent.  Crest  — 
a  squirrel  ppr.,  between  two  hazel-branches.  Motto, — 

“  Non  nobis  tantum  nati .” 

This  answers  more  closely  to  our  arms  than  any  that  has 
heretofore  been  given ;  the  only  exception  being  in  the  number 
of  billets,  which,  in  our  original  set  for  the  House  of  Cotton, 
is  ten,  four  above  and  six  below  the  fesse.  The  other  portions 
here  described  somewhat  resemble  the  Langley  combination. 
The  arms  of  Langley  are  thus  described  in  the  original 
manuscript :  — 

“  1.  Lee. 

2.  Astly. 

3.  Kir  ton  ( most  like  it ). 

4.  Pessal. 

5.  John  de  Orton  ( most  like  it). 

6.  LeeL 


^4 


ARMS  OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


The  first  and  sixth  are  alike,  and,  together  with  the  crest, 

from  the  original  Lee  coat-of-arms.  Of  the  families  represented 

as  connected  by  marriage,  we  have,  first,  that  of  Astly,  described 

as  a  “  cinquefoil,  on  an  azure  field,  surrounded  by  an  engrailed 

border  argent'.' 

<_> 

We  have  already  seen  that  Robert  de  la  Lee  married  a 
daughter  of  Thomas  Astly,  a.d.  1385;  hence  their  arms  of 
connection  are  added. 

The  cinquefoil  is  also  found  in  the  Lambert  arms  of  Surrey, 
with  whom  a  member  of  the  Lee  Family  was  connected. 

The  third  division  is  given  as  nearly  resembling  the  Kirton 
arms,  which  are  found  in  Mr.  Berry’s  “  County  Genealogy  ”  as 
“Quarterly  —  first,  argent,  a  fesse  ;  and  chevron  in  chief \  gules,” 
from  which  we  gain  the  white  fesse  and  chevron  on  a  red 


field. 


The  Kirtons  were  of  Westmoreland  County,  and  a  family  of 
distinction. 

The  fourth,  or  Pessal  Family,  is  thus  spoken  of  in  Burke’s 
“  Dormant  Peerage  :  ”  — 

“  Richard  de  Pershall,  or  Peshall,  son  of  Richard  Peshall,  and 
Alice  Somerton,  his  wife,  was  a  knight,  and  a  person  of  great 


power  in  Staffordshire,  having  been  high  sheriff,  an  office 
in  those  days  of  great  authority,  from  seventh  year  of 
Edward  III.  to  eleventh  and  fifteenth.  From  him  de¬ 


scended  Hugh  Peshall  or  Pessal  (as  it  afterwards  became),  the 
first  of  the  family  who  resided  at  Horsely,  in  County  of  Staf¬ 


ford. 


A.D.  1489. 


“  He  was  sheriff,  time  fourth  year  of  Henry  VII.,  and 
married  Juliana,  daughter  of  Sir  Robert  Corbet  of 


Morton  Corbet.” 


ARMS  OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


25 


Thus  we  gain  their  arms  through  the  Corbets,  in 
which  family  Sir  Humphry  Lee  married.  Their  arms  AD’  I489' 
are  thus  described  :  — 

“  Cross  forme  flourette  sable ;  on  a  Canton  gules,  a  wolf’s  head 
of  the  first. 

“Created  1612,  dormant  since  1712.” 

The  “cross,  patee  or,"  is  also  found  a  prominent  feature  in  the 
Bathurst  arms,  in  which  one  of  Launcelot  Lee’s  daughters  mar¬ 
ried.  The  “ Deer head"  is  given  as  forming  the  crest  of  the 
Smith  arms,  a  member  of  which  married  a  daughter  of  Sir 
Richard  Lee  of  Langley. 

The  fifth,  the  Orton  or  Horton  arms,  are  described  by  the 
same  author  as  bearing  the  “  lion  rampant :  ”  it  is  also  to  be 
found  in  the  Carter  arms  of  Kent;  Dr.  William  Carter  marrying 
Mary,  daughter  of  Launcelot  Lee,  Esq.  The  lion  is  found  also 
a  marked  feature  of  the  Gcodwin  arms  of  Buckinghamshire,  to 
a  member  of  which  Ann  Lee,  daughter  of  Sir  Henry  Lee,  was 
married. 

From  this  coat-of-arms,  therefore,  we  should  judge  that  the 
Langley  branch  of  the  Lees  were  intimately  connected  with  noble 
blood,  which  their  arms  represent,  through  the  “lion  rampant,” 
as  savoring  of  royalty. 

The  Cotton  arms,  as  shown  in  the  original,  are  quarterly,  and 
represent  only  the  family  of  Lee  and  Astly.  They  resemble  the 
Langley  arms,  but  embrace  only  ten  billets  and  three  bars  checkee 
in  the  fesse. 

To  the  student  of  heraldry,  the  billets,  embattled  bars,  cinque¬ 
foil,  and  other  devices  in  varied  colors,  will  each  be  found  to 
have  an  especial  meaning. 


26 


ARMS  OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


The  checkee  fesse  and  billets  on  an  ensanguined 

A.D.  1489.  0 

field  denote  War. 

The  cross,  Religion. 

The  lion,  Royalty. 

The  cinquefoil,  on  blue  field,  Grandeur,  &c. 

We  thus  learn  the  history  of  families  from  the  various 
bearings  of  the  escutcheon ;  and  those  now  presented  will  doubt¬ 
less  be  cherished  as  representing  an  old  Revolutionary  family, 
whose  coat-of-arms  is  quartered  with  those  of  Gen.  Washington. 


genealogical 


of  flic 


&  HE  testimony  here  given,  showing  the  validity 
y)  of  the  old  genealogy,  is  found  at  the  end  of  the  '  173°' 
original ;  but  we  have  placed  it  first,  that  we  may  enter  into  the 
examination  of  the  old  document  with  the  greater  satisfaction 
upon  establishing  its  authenticity. 

Charles  Townly  was  one  of  the  sir  heralds  commonly  called 
York,  Lancaster,  Chester,  Windsor,  Richmond,  and  Somerset, 
each  of  whom  had  his  “  pursuivant,”  or  attendant,  who  was  styled 
Bleu-Mantel,  Rouge-Croix,  Rouge-Dragon,  or  Portcullis ;  hence 
we  see,  that  John  Pomfret  (Rouge-Croix)  was  the  attendant  of 
Charles  Townly,  York  Herald,  by  whose  authority  the  pedigree 
and  coat-of-arms  were  extracted  from  the  herald’s  office. 

In  early  times,  heralds  were  employed  to  demand  redress  of 
injuries  from  foreign  powers,  carry  messages  of  amity  or  defiance, 
and  proclaim  peace  or  war.  At  a  later  period,  they  recorded  or 
emblazoned  armorial  bearings,  and  arranged  public  ceremonies; 
hence  the  establishment  of  the  herald’s  office.  The  herald  or 
pursuivant  had  authority  to  erase  any  coat-of-arms  illegally  borne, 
or  to  grant  it  to  those  families  entitled  thereto. 

We  have  the  authenticity  of  the  paper  established,  not  only  by 
the  following  evidence,  but  also  by  the  crown-stamp  upon  the 

27 


28 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


paper  of  that  date  (1750),  and  which  is  clearly  discerned 

A.D.  1750. 

on  the  original  with  the  motto,  “  Pro  P atria  ejusque 
Libertatel'  encircling  the  lion  rampant ,  bearing  in  one  hand  the 
“  faces,”  the  other  the  mace  of  office  ;  the  whole  surmounted  by  the 
crown,  underneath  which  are  the  letters  “  V.  R.  G.  H.  E.  Y.  T.,” 
which  doubtless  denote  the  seal  and  motto  of  the  herald’s  office. 

Charles  Townly,  York  Herald,  evidently  copied  the  pedigree 
from  the  original  in  the  herald’s  office,  as  the  hand-writing  is  the 
same  throughout,  with  a  marked  difference  from  that  of  his  col¬ 
league,  John  Pomfret,  whose  signature  comes  last,  accompanied 
with  the  date. 


“  Hugo  de  Lega  or  de  La,  as  in  the  old  chart  without 

A.D.  1200. 

date.” 

This  is  the  first  record  upon  the  old  genealogy,  and  indicates 
the  origin  of  the  name.  In  our  researches,  we  find  but  one 
mention  of  a  Hugo  Lee ,  which  occurs  in  “  The  Testa  de  Neville,” 
or  Feodorum  Book,  embracing  the  reigns  of  King  Henry  III. 
and  Edward  I.  The  original  entry  is  as  follows :  — 

“Hugo  de  Lega  Tenet  hydam  terre  p.  svicd  xxxm  ptis  unius 
miletd  deo  honore.” 

This  was  given  in  Bedfordshire.  We  may  safely  infer  that 
Hugo  Lee  is  in  direct  descent  from  Lionel  Lee,  from  what  has 
already  been  given  ;  but,  that  he  came  over  with  the  Conqueror, 
we  have  every  reason  to  doubt,  since  his  name  is  not  to  be 
found  in  the  record  of  that  event  which,  estimating  from  the  first 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


29 


genealogical  date  given,  would  leave  a  period  of  more 

A.D.  1200. 

than  two  hundred  years  unrecorded. 

We  have  previously  spoken  of  the  origin  of  the  name,  which 
we  here  find  is  Lega ;  and,  save  the  mention  of  an  “  old  chart,” 
we  have  nothing  to  indicate  the  time  and  place  referred  to. 


“  Reginaldus  Lee,  to  whom  William,  son  of  William 
son  of  Alani,  conceded  the  lands  by  petition  of  Fulco,  AtoDj/o^5° 
son  of  Warini.” 

Reginaldus  Lee  was  a  direct  descendant,  though  probably  not 
a  son,  of  Hugo  Lee.  We  find  him  mentioned  in  the  parlia¬ 
mentary  writs  of  this  period  as  a  burgess  returned  for  Bridg- 
worth  in  1307,  and  also  again  in  1315;  parliament  being  then 
held  at  Westminster. 

From  the  same  records  of  the  time  of  Edward  I.,  we  find  a 
Reginaldus  Lee  made  chief  assessor  and  collector  for  the  counties 
of  Shropshire  and  Stafford;  his  commission  being  granted  1275. 
Willus,  abbreviated  for  “  Willielmus,”  we  find,  by  reference  to 
the  old  Feodorum  Book,  was  the  son  of  Warren  Lee,  who  was 
Baron  of  Wahull :  the  genealogical  table,  however,  leads  us  to 
suppose  him  to  be  the  grandson  of  Alan  Lee,  who  appears  to 
have  been  a  baron  of  Shropshire  at  this  time. 

We  find  it  added,  in  the  work  referred  to  above,  that  “Fulco, 
son  of  Warini,”  held  one  knight’s  fee  in  Alderfer,  Shropshire, 


30 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


under  Baron  T.  Corbet*  by  whose  intercession  Rem- 

A.D.  1300.  J  & 

naldus  Lee  succeeds  to  the  possession  of  the  Lee 

Estate. 

The  word  “  terras,”  here  given,  signifies  large  tracts  of  arable 
land,  or  “  Terra  arabilis,”  which  were  granted  by  the  Conqueror 
to  his  followers,  and  which  were  afterwards  ceded  by  the  county 
barons  to  their  attendants. 

There  being  no  accompanying  date  or  locality  given,  we  can 
only  infer  that  this  estate  was  situated  in  Shropshire. 


“  Johis  de  Lee,  knight  or  soldier,  to  whom  Hugo  de 
ad.  1298  ppnj.on  orave  lands,  as  per  chart,  without  date.  Lived 
twenty-sixth  year  of  Edward  I.  The  father  of  Thomas 
Lee,  thirtieth  year  of  Edward  I.” 

This  is  the  first  entry  upon  the  genealogy  with  date.  We 
find  among  the  parliamentary  writs,  that  a  John  de  Lee,  knight 
of  Essex,  was  sent  to  parliament,  a.d.  1307;  and  also  that 
“Johannes,  son  of  William  de  Lee,  or  Leye,  certified,  as  per  writ 
at  Clipston,  a.d.  1316,  as  one  of  the  lords  of  the  township  of 
Leigh,  and  was  made  Esquire,  or  man-at-arms,  for  the  county  of 
Bedford.” 

We  have  here  another  grant  of  lands  to  the  family  for  gallant 
services  ;  as  it  states  that  this  member  of  the  family  was  a  “knight,” 
or  attendant,  of  Hugo  de  Hinton,  who  was  probably  one  of  the 
Conqueror’s  favorites;  and  is  mentioned  in  the  “  Testa  de  Neville” 
as  from  Northamptonshire,  and  holding  lands  under  Buchamstad. 


*  See  Feodorum  Book,  p.  45. 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


31 


The  term  “  miles,”  as  here  applied,  sometimes  sig- 

A.D.  1302. 

nified  a  soldier,  but  more  frequently  a  person  of  higher 
distinction  ;  since  Kelham  says,  — 

“  Men  that  held  great  estates  of  the  earls  and  barons  of  Eng¬ 
land,  as  five,  six,  seven,  eight  or  ten  knights’  fees,  were  called  by 
them  their  barons  ;  but  were  not  ‘  barones-regis,’  or  parliamentary 
barons :  and  as  the  king  had,  so  these  earls  and  barons,  their 
dapifers,  chamberlains,  and  other  officers  in  their  households.”* 


Thomas  Lee.  whose  father,  Johis  Lee,  was  given  in  the  pre¬ 
vious  entry,  here  bequeaths  to  his  eldest  son,  as  was  the  English 
custom,  the  patrimonial  estate  near  Pebenhull,  a  small  ancient 
village  of  Shropshire,  now  extinct. 

Erom  a  portion  of  the  mutilated  deeds  accompanying  the 
pedigree,  as  well  as  by  reference  to  the  parliamentary  writs, 
a.d.  1316,  Thomas  de  Leye,  or  Lee,  is  given  (as  one  of  the  lords 
of  Staunton)  a  church,  or  glebe,  in  the  county  of  Shropshire. 
It  seems  he  received  a  grant  of  lands  to  be  held  in  his  own  right, 
from  John  Le  Fitz  William  of  Tetterton. 

The  wife  of  Thomas  Lee  is  also  here  given,  who  was  a  daugh¬ 
ter  of  Thomas  Corbet,  of  the  great  Shropshire  Family  of  Corbet, 
or  Corbett,  of  Morton-Corbet. 

The  first  mention  of  this  ancient  family  is  made  under  the 
“  Tenants  in  Capite,”  from  William  the  Conqueror. 

Lyson  also  says,  “  The  manor  of  Lyton,  or  Leyton  Grange, 
one  of  those  included  in  this  county  (Essex),  in  the  estate  of 


*  See  Doomsday  Boole,  p.  273. 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


Robert  cle  Corbutis  (Corbet),  was  given  by  Walter  Cor- 

A.D.  1302.  v  1  b  J 

pechum  to  the  Abbot  and  Convent  of  Stratford- Lang- 
thorne,  and  confirmed  by  Ralph  de  Arderm  about  the  year  1200.” 

A  Robert-Fitz-Corbet  is  also  mentioned  as  under-tenant  to 
Earl  Roger  de  Montgomery,  in  Shropshire,  at  the  time  of  the 
survey.  There  are  several  Thomas  Corbels  mentioned  in  the 
Feodorunr  Book,  one  of  whom  is  spoken  of  as  holding  a  knight’s 
fee  in  Tasseleg,  Shropshire,  who  is  probably  the  one  here  referred 
to.  There  was  also  a  Baron  T.  Corbet  of  Shropshire. 

The  term  “  villa  ”  is  used  for  a  manor,  or  lordship,  though 
frequently  applied  to  a  collection  of  houses  as  vil ,  or  village. 


“  Reginaldus  Lee,  to  whom  his  father  gives  the  Lee 

.  T'.  O  7  O 

A.D.  1321. 

Villa.  Lived  fourteenth  year  of  Edward  II.” 

This  entry  simply  confirms  the  previous  one,  by  adding  the 
year  in  which  the  transfer  is  supposed  to  have  been  made. 


“Johis  Lee,  soldier,  son  of  Reginaldus  Lee  of  the 
a.d.  1322  jqouse  0f  R0den,  fifteenth  year  of  Edward  II.,  and  first 

to  1328.  ’  J 

year  Edward  III.  Married,  first,  Alicia,  thirteenth  Ed¬ 
ward  II.;  second,  Matilda,  daughter  of  Henry  Erdington.” 

This  was  the  eldest  son  of  Reginaldus  Lee,  who  necessarily 
inherited  the  Roden  Estate.  He  married  twice.  His  first  wife, 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


33 


Alicia,  who  was  of  the  House  of  Haberly,  seems,  by 

the  old  deeds,  to  have  been  a  widow  at  the  time  of  her  A  D'  li22 

to  1328. 

marriage  with  Johis  Lee;  as  a  marriage-contract  was 
made  in  which  Alicia  settled  most  of  her  property  upon  her 
three  children, —  Thomas,  Oliver,  and  Isabella:  she  died  soon 
after,  leaving  no  further  issue.  Johis  Lee  married  again,  a.d. 
1328.  His  second  wife  was  Matilda  Erdington,  by  whom  he  had 
two  children. 

Johis,  or  Johannes,  Lee,  as  it  was  frequently  written,  is  men¬ 
tioned  quite  often  among  the  parliamentary  writs  of  Edward  II. 
We  find  him  the  5th  March,  1316,  certifying,  as  per  writ,  as  one 
of  the  lords  of  the  township  of  Birrington  (or  Biriton),  Shropshire 
He  was  also  one  of  the  commissioners  of  array  for  the  same 
county,  1322  ;  and  was  made  knight  of  the  county,  and  summoned 
to  parliament,  14th  November,  1322. 

From  the  same  records,  we  also  find  Henry  Erdington  quite 
prominent  as  a  public  man,  from  1309  to  1324.  He  was  a  knight 
of  Lancaster;  enlisted  in  1300  against  the  Scots,  at  the  head 
of  a  company;  was  one  of  the  assizers  and  collectors  of  Warwick, 
and  conservator  of  the  peace  for  the  same  county,  See. 


“  Robert  Lee,  son  of  lohis  Lee,  of  the  House  of  Roden, 

.  a.d.  1385. 

eighth  year  of  Richard  II.  Marries  Margaret,  daughter 

and  heiress  of  Thomas  Astley  of  Nordley.” 

Under  the  parliamentary  writs,  we  find  that  a  Robert  de  la 
Lee  was  one  of  the  followers  of  the  Earl  of  Hereford,  and  was 


5 


34 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


pardoned  of  all  offences  committed  in  the  “  persuit  of 

A.D.  13S5.  .  .  1 

the  dispensers, ”  in  company  with  that  earl ;  but  it  seems 

this  was  afterwards  revoked,  as  certain  commissioners  were  ap¬ 
pointed  to  pursue  and  arrest  him  and  others.  This  occurred 
Aug.  20,  1321,  which  would  render  it  probable  that  he  died  in 
1385,  the  date  above  given. 

In  the  same  record,  we  also  find  that  Thomas  de  Astley  was  in 
the  same  expedition,  under  Earl  Roger  de  Mortimer  of  Wigorn, 
and  was  also  pardoned. 

From  Burke’s  “  Extinct  Baronage  of  England,”  we  derive  the 
following  concerning  this  family:  — 

“  The  Astleys  derive  their  name  from  the  Manor  of  Astley,  or, 
as  originally  written,  Eastlcy ,  in  the  County  of  Warwick,  of 
which  they  were  lords  as  early  as  Henry  I.  Sir  Thomas  Astley, 
knight,  was  constituted,  in  the  twenty-sixth  of  Henry  III.,  one  of 
the  king’s  justices  for  the  gaol  delivery  at  Warwick.  Sir  Thomas 
was  one  of  the  leaders  amongst  the  barons  who  fell  in  1264,  with 
Montford,  Earl  of  Leicester,  and  other  rebellious  lords. 

“  The  Astleys  intermarried  with  the  Corbets,  Wrotesleys,  and 
Lees.  Their  seats  were  afterwards  Hill,  Morton,  and  Patshull.” 

From  Guilliam’s  “  Heraldry,”  we  find  it  stated  that  “there  have 
been  of  this  family  (Astley),  successively,  barons  of  parliament 
from  Edward  I.  to  Henry  V.,  and  one  Knight  of  the  Garter  in 
Henry  VI.” 

The  Astley  arms,  it  will  be  observed,  are  blended  with  those 
of  Lee;  and  the  Nordley  Estate  descended  to  the  posterity  of 
Robert  Lee. 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


35 


Johannes  Lee,  the  youngest  son  of  Robert  Lee,  inher- 

•  -Mil  T  T  .  .  .  A.D.  1400. 

its  JNordiey.  He,  too,  evidently  marries  into  a  distin¬ 
guished  family,  as  his  issue  forms  another  branch  of  the  family, 
in  which  the  large  estate  of  Nordley  descended  many  generations. 
The  Packingtons,  though  not  previously  mentioned,  are  a  well- 
established  family,  many  of  the  name  being  still  found  through¬ 
out  England. 


“  Rogerus  Lee,  son  and  heir,  first  lord  of  Langley.  Marries 
Johanna,  daughter  and  heiress  of  Edward  Burnell.” 

* 

Being  the  eldest  son  of  Robert  Lee,  he  succeeds  to  most  of 
the  property  on  the  paternal  side,  and  his  issue  forms  the  direct 
line,  or  first  branch,  of  the  family.  He  also  marries  an  heiress, 
by  whom  he  obtains  the  Langley  Estate,  situated  in  Shropshire. 

Edward  Burnell  is  mentioned  in  the  parliamentary  writs  of 
Edward  II.  as  the  son  and  heir  of  Philip  Burnell,  who  was  sum¬ 
moned  to  parliament  as  a  baron  in  1316,  and  held  lands  in 
fourteen  counties. 


“  Robert  Lee  of  Langley,  in  the  county  of  Shropshire. 

Marries  Petronilla  - ,  as  appears  per  chart  dated 

eleventh  year  of  Henry  IV.,  and  another  seventeenth 
of  Henry  VI.,  and  also  another  dated  twentieth  of  Henry  VI. 

Continuing  with  the  main  stem  through  the  issue  of  Roger 


36 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


Lee,  his  eldest  son  here  marries  a  lady  of  much  fortune, 

A.D.  1442.  .  .  J 

if  we  judge  from  the  number  of  charts  or  grants  re¬ 
ferred  to. 

The  omission  of  the  family  name,  as  in  this  case,  is  frequently 
met  with  in  such  records ;  and  it  was  not  considered  entirely 
necessary. 


“  Radolphus  Lee,  living  twenty-fifth  year  of  Henry 
1447  yj  ancj  eighteenth  of  Edward  IV.,  died  nineteenth  of 

to  1491.  0 

Edward  IV.  Married  Isabella,  who  was  a  widow,  and 
daughter  of  Jacob  Ridley,  twentieth  year  of  Edward  IV.” 

This  record  appears  more  explicit  than  any  heretofore  given. 
Supposing  Radolphus  was  born  twenty-fifth  Henry  VI.  (1447),  he 
was  about  forty-three  years  of  age  at  his  decease. 

From  the  old  deeds,  we  find  that  his  wife  inherited  property 
situated  in  the  villages  of  Haxalls,  Acton,  Burnell,  and  Buryton, 
in  Shropshire 


“  Richard  Lee  of  Langley,  in  the  county  of  Shropshire,  a.d. 
1491,  twentieth  year  of  Edward  IV.  Married  Margaret,  daughter 
and  co-heir  of  Fulco  Sprenchose,  knight.” 

Here  we  observe  the  first  omission  of  de,  or  le.  Richard  Lee, 
the  only  child  of  Radolphus,  succeeds  to  the  whole  estate,  and 
married,  as  it  is  further  stated  in  the  deeds,  the  widow  of  Johis 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


37 


Wimsbly,  through  whom  Richard  acquired  a  lar^e  estate 
.  '  H  &  a.d.  1491. 

in  Dotinton. 

This  Richard  Lee  is  doubtless  the  “  Richard  ”  referred  to  in 
our  introductory  article  as  enlisting  against  the  Scots. 


From  Richard  Lee  we  have  seven  children,  —  five  sons 
and  two  daughters.  AD'  1486 

The  issue  of  three  of  the  sons,  Thomas,  Rodolphus, 
and  Johannes,  is  not  given.  The  second  son,  Richard,  married  a 
daughter  of  Macocks,  and  lived  during  the  reign  of  Henry  VII.: 
he  left  one  child,  a  daughter,  who  succeeded  to  his  property,  and 
married  Thomas  Kinaston,  of  Cotton,  in  the  county  of  Shrop¬ 
shire. 

This  Richard  Lee,  as  appears  from  ancient  record,  was  the 
king’s  surveyor,  since  we  find  a  letter  written  to  “  Richard  Lee, 
Esq.,  surveyor  of  the  king’s  workes  at  Guisnes,  declaring  the  kings 
Highness’  pleasure  touching  the  conveyance  of  water  through 
the  towfi' of  St.  Peter’s,  and  the  opening  of  a  drain,”  See. ;  also 
“  at  Windsor,  1540,  an  order  was  sent  to  Richard  Lee,  surveyor 
of  Calais,  to  answer  charges  against  him,  and  to  use  himself 
towards  the  king’s  officers  as  his  duty  doth  appertain.”* 

Fulco  Lee,  the  eldest  son  and  heir  of  Langley,  married  twice; 
first,  Alicia,  daughter  of  Henry  Cornwall  of  Birington,  in  the 
county  of  Hereford,  of  which  family,  Burke,  in  his  “  Landed 
Gentry  of  England,”  says,  “  The  Cornwalls  are  descended  from 
Richard  de  Cornwall,  who  had  the  manor  of  Thunneck,  in  Lin- 


*  See  Privy  Council,  vol.  vii. 


38 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


colnshire,  from  Edward,  Earl  of  Cornwall,  eighth  of 

A.D.  1540.  0 

Edward  I.,  1280.  He  was  ancestor  of  the  Cornwalls, 
barons  of  Burford,  the  senior  line  of  which  family  is  now  repre¬ 
sented  by  the  heir,  Gen.  George  Cornwall  Leigh,  Esq.,  of  High- 
Leigh,  Cheshire.”  By  his  second  wife,  Richard  Lee  had  one 
daughter,  who  married.  He  is  mentioned  among  the  records  of 
the  privy  council  of  Henry  VIII.  as  one  of  the  witnesses  in  a  suit 
of  Chandler  against  Wrotesley  for  possession  of  the  Lee  Manor. 
Chandler,  it  seems,  made  a  false  accusation,  and  was  made  to 
apologize  to  Sir  Thomas  Wrotesley. 

Margeria,  the  eldest  daughter  of  Richard  Lee,  married  Thomas 
Vernon,  second  son  of  Sir  Henry  Vernon  of  Hodnet,  Shropshire, 
second  Earl  of  Shrewsbury,  and  who  was  a  descendant  of  Richard 
Vernon,  a  follower  of  William  the  Conqueror.  By  this  marriage, 
there  was  but  one  child,  a  daughter ;  and  the  line  became  extinct 
in  1600.  Lord  George  Venable  Vernon  was  made  a  peer  in 
1762,  and  married  his  second  wife,  Mary,  daughter  of  Sir  Thomas 
Lee  of  Hartwell,  Buckingham,  who  died  Sept.  22,  1742. 


Thomas  Lee,  Esq.,  of  Langley,  is  the  only  son  of 
a.d  1574  pu]CQ  Lee  py  pjs  prs|-  wjfe<  Falling  heir  to  an  im- 
mense  estate,  he  married  into  the  distinguished  family 
of  Corbet,  forming  the  second  alliance  between  the  two  families. 
This  Robert  Corbet,  the  father  of  Jana,  of  Morton-Corbet,  Shrop¬ 
shire,  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Sir  John  Vernon.  Robert 
Corbet  also  had  another  daughter  Elizabeth,  who  married  Sir 
Henry  Wallop,  Earl  of  Portsmouth.* 


*  See  Peerage  of  England. 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


39 


By  the  union  of  Thomas  Lee  and  Jane,  there  were 
ten  children,  —  three  sons  and  seven  daughters.  a.d.  1574 

All  the  daughters  married,  one  of  whom  was  united 
to  another  of  the  Corbet  Family,  of  whom  Burke  mentions, — 

“  Sir  Edward  Corbet  of  Longnor  and  of  Leighton,  knight,  was 
created  a  baronet  in  1642.  The  senior  branch  of  the  family 
expired  in  1774,  with  Sir  Richard  Corbet,  baronet,  whereupon  the 
title  descended  upon  Charles  Corbet  of  London,  great  grandson  of 
Thomas,  the  second  son  of  the  first  baronet.  Edward  Corbet 
of  Longnor  Hall,  Shropshire,  J.  P.  and  D.  L.,  lieutenant -colonel 
of  Shropshire  Militia,  1817,  is  a  descendant  of  this  branch.”* 

The  eldest  daughter,  Jocosa,  marries  Robert  Morton  of  Hough¬ 
ton,  who  was  a  widower  at  the  time,  as  a  daughter  of  his  marries 
Thomas  Lee  of  Nordley.  Maria,  the  fourth  daughter,  marries 
Edward  Plowden,  of  which  family  Burke  speaks:  — 

% 

“  The  Family  Plowden  have  been  seated  at  Plowden,  in  Shrop¬ 
shire,  from  a  period  anterior  the  earliest  records  extant  in  the 
vicinity.  Roger  Plowden,  of  Plowden,  who  was  a  Crusader  under 
Richard  Coeur  de  Lion,  is  stated  to  have  been  present  at  the 
siege  of  Acre,  in  1194,  and  to  have  received  for  his  gallant  ser¬ 
vices  the  augmentation  of  the  ‘  Fleurs-dc-Lys',  borne  ever  since 
by  his  descendants.  From  him  descended  Edward  Plowden,  who 
married  Mary,  daughter  of  Thomas  Lee  of  Langley,  in  Shrop¬ 
shire,  and  had  a  son  Humphry.”! 

Richard  Lee,  eldest  son  and  heir,  married  a  daughter  of  Walter 
Wrotesley,  of  Wrotesley,  of  which  family  we  gather  an  interesting 
account: — 

“About  the  period  of  the  Norman  Conquest,  the  manor  of 
Wrotesley,  in  Stafford,  from  which  this  family  derives  its  name, 


*  See  Burke’s  Landed  Gentry  of  England. 


t  Burke’s  Commoners. 


40 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


was  in  possession  of  the  monks  of  Evesham ;  and  it  so 

A.D.  1600.  ... 

continued  until  the  reign  of  Henry  II.,  when  the  holy 
fathers  exchanged  it  for  Moreton  and  other  lands. 

“Sir  Hugh  de  Wrotesley  attended  Edward  III.  at  the  siege  of 
Calais,  and  had  a  license  from  that  monarch  in  the  same  year 
(twenty-third)  to  make  a  park  at  Wrotesley.  Sir  Hugh  was  sub¬ 
sequently  very  famous,  and  was  amongst  the  first  Knights  of  the 
Garter  upon  the  institution  of  that  order.  From  him  descended 
Sir  Walter  Wrotesley,  of  Wrotesley,  who  was  created  a  baronet 
in  1642.  This  gentleman  distinguished  himself  by  zealous  attach¬ 
ment  to  the  royal  cause  during  the  civil  wars,  and  converted  his 
mansion  into  a  garrison  for  the  king.  Sir  Walter  married  a 
daughter  of  John  Grey,  Esq.,  of  Enville,  Stafford,  by  whom  he 
had  three  sons  and  four  daughters.”*' 

The  second  daughter  of  Sir  Walter  married  Sir  John  Talbot, 
son  of  Sir  Gilbert  Talbot,  and  grandson  of  John,  second  Earl  of 
Shrewsbury.  From  this  marriage  is  descended  the  Hon.  William 
Talbot,  Earl  of  Talbot,  1761. 

This  Richard  Lee  is  frequently  mentioned  among  the  records 
of  Queen  Elizabeth’s  reign  as  Clarencieux-at-arms,  or  heraldic 
officer  to  the  crown.  From  the  Lansdowne  collection  of  manu¬ 
scripts,  we  find  him  writing  to  Lord  Burleigh,  under  date  of  June 
24,  1594,  stating  his  reasons  “why  he  used  a  hearse  at  the  funeral 
of  a  knight  bachelor.”  We  gather  also  from  the  “Cottonian” 
collection  of  the  same  period,  that  Richard  Lee  was  sent  to  the 
Emperor  of  Russia  about  the  year  1600;  and  we  further  find 
among  the  Harleian  collection  a  “  Visitation  ”  of  Oxford,  as 
made  by  “  Richard  Lee  of  Portcullis,  pursuivant,  and  afterwards 
Windsor  herald,  and  lastly  Clarencieux-at-arms,  a.d.  1574.” 


*  Burke’s  Peerage  and  Baronage. 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


41 


The  arms  of  the  city  of  Oxford,  consisting  of  the 

...  A.D.  1600. 

helm,  crest,  and  supporters,  were  granted  at  this  time  by 
Mr.  Lee.  The  “visitations”  of  Mr.  Lee,  as  published  by  himself 
in  1584,  were  reprinted  in  1661,  and  are  now  to  be  found  in  the 
British  Museum.  In  this  work  may  be  found  the  “  Atchevient” 
of  Vernon  of  Hadnot  (these  Vernons  having  “supporters”  by 
ancient  usage) ;  also  the  arms  of  the  Shropshire  nobility  and 
gentry.  Richard  Lee,  it  seems,  was  also  created  Richmond 
herald  and  marshal  to  Robert  Cook,  who  was  Clarencieux 
a.d.  1564. 

Among  the  chancery  proceedings  of  the  reign  of  Queen  Eliza¬ 
beth,  we  find  an  interesting  suit  between  this  Richard  Lee  and 
his  brother  Jerome,  for  an  annuity  bequeathed  the  latter  by 
Thomas  Lee,  their  father,  issuing  out  of  the  Manor  of  Dotinton, 
Shropshire,  as  claimed  under  the  will ;  from  which  fact  we  may 
infer  that  Thomas  Lee  died  some  time  during  the  reign  of  that 
queen. 


We  have  from  Richard  and  Eleanor  Lee  another 

.A.D.  1620. 

large  family,  four  sons  and  six  daughters.  All  the 
daughters  were  married ;  but  the  marriage  of  only  one  son  is 
given,  —  that  of  Humfry  Lee,  the  eldest,  who  was  created  a 
baron  3  May,  1620. 

From  Burke’s  “  Extinct  and  Dormant  Baronetcies  of  England  ” 
we  gather  much  concerning  Sir  Humfry  and  his  family:  — 

“  Humfry  Lee,  Esq.,  of  Langley,  and  Acton  Burnel  in  Shrop¬ 
shire,  son  of  Richard  Lee,  Esq.,  of  Langley,  by  Eleanor  his  wife, 


6 


42 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


daughter  of  Walter  Wrotesley,  Esq.,  of  Wrotesley,  was 
fourth  in  descent  from  Richard  Lee,  Esq.,  sheriff  of  the 
county  in  1479,  and  representative  of  one  of  the  oldest  families 
in  England.  In  1620  he  was  created  a  baronet,  being  the  first 
Shropshire  gentleman  who  received  that  honor.  He  married 
Margaret,  daughter  of  Richard  Corbet,  Esq.,  of  Stoke,  one  of  the 
judges  of  the  Court  of  King’s  Bench,  and  had  issue. 

“  Sir  Humfry  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Sir  Richard  Lee  of 
Langley,  and  Acton  Burnel,  M.  P.  for  Shropshire,  who  suffered 
much  in  the  royal  cause,  and  had  to  compound  his  estate  in  the 
sum  of  ^3,719. 

“He  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Sir  Edward 

A.D.  1660.  .  0 

Allen,  knight  and  alderman  of  London ;  and  left  at  his 
decease,  in  April,  1660,  issue  to  survive  him,  —  two  daughters,  his 
co-heirs ;  viz.,  Rachel,  married  to  Richard  Cleaton,  Esq.,  second 
son  of  Ralph  Cleaton,  of  Otely,  in  Shropshire.  She  obtained  for 
her  inheritance  Lea  Hall,  and  the  other  estates  of  her  ancestors 
in  that  neighborhood,  and  transmitted  them  to  her  descendants 
in  the  third  generation.  Richard  Cleaton  had  two  daughters : 
1.  Alathea,  married  to  Watkins  Williams  Wynne,  Esq.,  of  Voclas, 
in  Denbighshire,  whose  daughters  married  —  the  one,  the  Hon. 
Charles  Finch ;  the  other,  Thomas  Asheton  Smythe,  or  Smith, 
Esq.,  of  Tedworth,  Hants.  Lea  Hall  and  other  estates  were  sold 
to  Sir  Thomas  Tywhitt  Jones,  baronet.  2.  Mary,  married  Edward 
Smythe,  Esq.,  who  was  created  a  baronet,  and  ancestor  of  the 
present  Sir  Edward  Smythe,  baronet,  of  Acton  Burnell  and 
Langley. 

“  At  the  death  of  Sir  Richard  Lee,  the  baronetcy  became 
extinct. 

“A  branch  of  this  ancient  family,  that  of  Cotton  Hall,  in  Shrop- 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


43 


shire,  which  separated  at  a  very  early  period  from  the 

.  A.D.  1660. 

parent  stock,  still  preserves  a  male  succession.”* 

Of  the  Corbet  Family,  in  which  Sir  Humfry  married  (being 
the  fourth  connection  between  the  two  families),  we  have  .already 
coven  a  sketch. 

O 

Reoinald  Corbet  is  probably  son  of  Robert  Corbet  of 

.  .  .  .  .  A.D.  1620. 

Moreton,  in  which  case  Margareta  is  cousin  to  Sir 
Humfry. 

Among  the  chancery  proceedings  of  Oueen  Elizabeth’s  reign, 
we  find  many  suits  in  which  Sir  Humfry  is  a  party,  a  few  of 
which  we  give  as  being  interesting,  and  enabling  us  to  establish 
more  fully  our  genealogical  statements. 

In  a  suit  of  Edward  Bacon  for  possession  of  “  the  Brompton 
Mannor,  the  late  estate  of  Alicia,  widdow  of  Reginald  Corbet, 
Esq.,  deceased,”  the  names  of  Alicia  Corbet,  Richard  Corbet, 
Humfry  Lee  and  wife,  Roger  Lee,  Jerome  Corbet,  and  many 
others,  are  given  as  parties  interested. 

We  find  Sir  Humphry  Lee  as  “defendant  in  a  suit  of  Thomas 
Corbet  for  a  fraud  in  a  deed  of  property  in  Munden,  Shropshire, 
late  estate  of  Thomas  Colfax.” 

Again,  we  find  him  as  defendant  in  a  suit  of  Richard  Lyster, 
“for  relief  of  extent  concerning  property  in  Broughton,  Shrop¬ 
shire,  the  late  estate  of  his  father,  Richard  Lyster.” 

We  have  recorded  the  marriage  of  a  sister  of  Sir  Humfry  Lee 
with  Miclirs  Lyster,  doubtless  son  of  the  said  Richard,  in  whose 
behalf  Sir  Humfry  is  enlisted.  We  find  among  the  same 
“proceedings”  a  suit,  which  Henry  Vannor,  who  married  the 
fourth  daughter  of  Sir  Richard  Lee,  sustains  against  Thomas 


*  Burke’s  Commoners. 


44 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


Owen,  Edward  Horton,  Richard  Parker,  Ann  Vannor, 

A.D.  1620.  .  .  _ 

widow,  and  Luke  and  Gabriel  Gunn,  “  for  relief  against 
cancelled  bonds  given  by  the  plaintiff’s  father  for  performance  of 
covenants.” 

It  seems  the  plaintiff’s  father,  Henry  Vannor,  being  seized  of 
lands,  See.,  in  Condover,  called  Houghton-Fields,  Shropshire,  sold 
the  same  to  defendants,  Horton,  Audly,  and  Parker:  Parker, 
however,  sells  his  third  part  to  Richard  Lee,  the  plaintiff’s  father- 
in-law,  who  again  conveys  the  same  to  plaintiff’s  father,  Henry 
V annor,  which  third  part  he  claims  by  descent.  The  defendant, 
Parker,  at  the  same  time  released  the  plaintiff’s  father  from  a 
bond  of  two  thousand  pounds,  given  him  and  others  with  the  said 
bargain  and  sale ;  which  release  the  plaintiff  states  to  be  still  in 
defendant’s  hands,  and  prays  recovery  and  relief  from  suits  on 
said  bond,  and  also  for  the  inheritance  of  the  said  third  part.*' 

The  suit  appears  long  and  complicated,  but  interesting,  in 
regard  to  the  parties  connected  with  the  old  genealogy. 

From  the  Harleian  collection  of  manuscripts,  an  original 
letter  is  referred  to,  from  Humfry  Lee  to  Mr.  Joe  Orenge,  dated 
Lee,  15th  April,  1594,  “concerning  his  being  left  out  of  the  new 
peace  commission  sent  down  for  the  county  of  Shropshire ;  ”  and 
from  the  same  work,  a  notice  pf  the  Lees  of  Langley  and  Cotton, 
the  originals  of  which  are  preserved  in  the  British  Museum. 

Of  the  daughters  of  Sir  Humphry  Lee,  Margaret  married  Sir 
Francis  Kynaston,  Knight  of  Otely,  in  Shropshire. 

The  remainder  were  doubtless  under  age  at  the  time 
a.d.  i663-  . 

the  old  genealogy  closes,  which  it  here  does  for  the  first 

branch,  after  adding  the  arms  of  the  Lees  of  Langley,  which  will 

be  noticed  presently. 


Chancery  Proceedings  in  Privy  Council  of  Queen  Elizabeth. 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


45 


Of  the  sixth  daughter  of  Sir  Richard  Lee,  Katharine, 

.  A.D.  1663. 

who  married  Johis  Heyward,  we  have  some  account  in 
Burke’s  “  Commoners  :  ”  — 

“  The  family  of  Hereford,  or  Heyward,  is  of  great  antiquity, 
deriving  its  name,  according  to  old  manuscripts,  from  a  city  in 
Wales,  the  residence  of  the  ancient  earls  of  Hereford.  They 
moved,  during  the  reign  of  Edward  I.,  to  England,  and  to  the 
county  of  Herefordshire.  From  Roger  Hereford,  the  founder, 
time  of  Henry  II.,  1170,  sprang  the  numerous  family.  John 
Hereford,  of  Lofton,  was  born  8th  September,  1558.  Wedded,  first, 
in  1578,  Catherine,  daughter  of  Richard  Lee  of  Langley,  and  had  a 
son  Richard,  his  heir;  second,  to  Elizabeth,  daughter  to  Humfry 
Archer,  Esq.,  of  Tam  worth,  Warwickshire,  who  died  1641,  leaving 
a  large  family.” 


“Johis  Lee  of  Nordley,  in  the  county  of  Shropshire. 

A.D.  1540. 

Married  Elizabeth,  daughter  and  heiress  of  Thomas 
Corbyne.” 

We  have  already  stated  that  Roger  Lee  succeeded  to  the 
Roden  Estate  by  inheritance,  and  also  acquired  the  Langley  Estate 
by  marriage.  We  here  find  Johis  Lee  possesses  Nordley,  which 
his  father  acquired  through  the  Astleys. 

The  Corbyne,  or,  as  it  has  since  become,  Corbin  Family,  is  one 
of  the  most  ancient  and  noble  of  England.  Hugo  de  Corbin,  the 
founder,  is  spoken  of  as  holding  lands  previous  to  the  Doomsday 
survey,  and  probably  came  over  with  the  Conqueror.  The  family 
still  bear  nearly  the  same  name,  and  are  scattered  throughout 


46 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


England  and  this  country.  As  will  be  seen  hereafter, 
the  two  families  intermarried  several  times. 


“  Thomas  Lee  of  Nordley,  in  county  of  Shropshire. 
Married  Johanna,  daughter  of  Robert  Morton  of  Hough¬ 
ton,  Shropshire.” 

We  have  already  referred  to  this  marriage  in  speaking  of 
Thomas  Lee  of  Langley  (see  1 5).  Robert  Morton  evidently  was 
twice  married,  Johanna  being  his  daughter  by  his  first  wife :  he 
afterwards  married  Jocosa,  eldest  daughter  of  Thomas  Lee  of 
Langley. 

Thomas  Lee  of  Nordley  leaves  but  three  children,  —  Thomas, 
Humphry,  and  Anna.  Thomas  married  an  heiress,  and  left  one 
son,  Lrancis,  who  is  mentioned  in  the  Lansdowne  manuscripts 
as  petitioning  the  council  to  encourage  his  art  of  making  gun¬ 
powder,  rather  than  buy  abroad;  and  also  proposes,  in  1588,  to 
make  saltpetre  at  ninepence  per  pound. 

He  probably  died  unmarried,  leaving  this  branch  extinct. 

Humphry  Lee,  the  eldest  son  and  heir,  marries,  and  his  issue 
forms  a  continuation  of  the  second  branch. 


A.D.  1540. 


A.D.  1574 
to  i6co. 


A.D.  1600. 


“  Humfry  Lee  of  Cotton,  Shropshire.  Married  Kath¬ 
erine,  daughter  of  Johannes  Blount  of  Yeo.” 


Cotton,  the  residence  of  Humphry  Lee,  which  has  but  once 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


47 


been  previously  mentioned,  is  situated  in  Nordley,  or,  as 

A.D.  1600. 

it  was  usually  called,  the  King’s-Nordley.  Nordley  is 
called  after  one  of  the  French  towns  or  provinces,  and  comprised 
one  of  those  large  tracts  of  land  reserved  by  the  king,  under  the 
term  “  Terra  Regis:”  hence  these  tracts  bore  the  prefix  of  king, 
as  King’s-Langley,  King’s-Swinford,  and  King’s-Nordley. 

Most  of  the  property  of  the  Lees  was  situated  in  this  district. 
This  branch  of  the  family  was  heretofore  known  by  the  district; 
but  later,  and  as  the  laterals  spread,  the  family-seat  of  Cotton  is 
added,  to  more  minutely  designate  them.  Cotton  was  situated 
near  Bridnorth,  on  the  road  leading  to  Shrewsbury,  the  county- 
town,  and  probably  formed  a  village.  As  has  been  stated,  Cotton 
has  passed  out  of  the  Lee  Family. 

Of  the  family  of  Blount,  in  which  Humfry  Lee  married,  Burke 
says,  — 

“  The  surname  of  this  family  was  originally  Lc  Blount ;  and  Sir 
Alexander  Cook  says  he  is  now  the  representative  of  the  senior 
branch  of  that  ancient  house,  which  had  its  origin  from  the 
Blondi,  or  Brondi,  of  Italy. 

“  Its  patriarchs,  the  counts  of  Guisnes,  claimed  alliance  with 
most  of  the  royal  families  of  Europe,  and  counted  among  their 
progenitors  the  emperors  and  kings  of  France,  the  kings  of  Den¬ 
mark,  and  dukes  of  Bavaria.  The  family  is  now  known  under 
the  name  of  Croke.” 


“Johannes  Lee  of  Cotton  in  King’s-Nordley,  in  county  of 
Shropshire. 

“  Married  the  daughter  of  Johis  Romney,  who  married  a  daugh¬ 
ter  of  John  Brington  of  Stoke.” 


48 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


Here  is  given  the  mother  of  Jocosa,  who,  we  presume, 

A.D.  1 600.  .  ...  .  1 

is  of  a  distinguished  family.  By  this  marriage  we  have 
eight  children,  all  sons,  the  issue  of  but  one  of  which  is  given, 
though  we  presume  the  others  married. 


Here  we  have  the  family  residence  more  minutely  located. 

From  the  Cottonian  manuscripts  we  find  a  Thomas  Lee,  Chief 
Justice  of  Ireland  in  1608.  Also  a  Dr.  Edward  Lee,  Arch¬ 
bishop  of  York  a.d.  1525,  and  Gilbert  Lee,  1588;  which  renders 
it  probable  they  were  of  this  branch  of  the  family.  Thomas  Lee 
left  nine  children,  only  two  of  whom  were  sons. 


Launcelot  Lee  of  Cotton,  eldest  son  and  heir  of 

A.D.  1663. 

Thomas  Lee,  is  noticed  briefly  in  an  interesting  article 
upon  the  Lee  Family,  as  found  in  Bishop  Meade’s  “  Old  Churches 
of  Virginia.”  He  was  doubtless  living  at  the  time  the  genealogy 
was  completed,  as  his  age  is  given ;  and  we  may  presume  he  was 
instrumental  in  its  formation. 

Launcelot  Lee  was  twice  married,  both  wives  being  from  the 
county  of  Stafford.  By  his  first  wife  he  left  three  sons,  John, 
Thomas,  and  Richard  ;  the  issue  of  Thomas  alone  being  given. 
He  was  forty-three  years  of  age  at  the  close  of  the  record ;  which 
would  place  the  marriage  of  his  father  about  a.d.  1620. 

The  father-in-law  of  Launcelot  Lee,  Thomas  Clemson,  is  men¬ 
tioned  among  the  parliamentary  writs  of  that  time  as  having  been 
twice  married,  his  "second  wife  being  Joyce  Cassandra. 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


49 


By  his  second  wife,  a  daughter  of  Henry  Gough, 

.  A.D.  1663. 

Launcelot  Lee  left  seven  children,  three  sons  and  four 
daughters:  of  the  latter,  only  two  married.  From  Burke’s  “British 
Commoners”  we  have  an  interesting  account  of  this  Henry  Gough, 
who,  it  appears,  was  a  man  of  much  distinction. 

“Gough — a  most  ancient  family,  and  its  members  highly  dis¬ 
tinguished,  reaching  from  time  of  Henry  I.  It  founded  the  noble 
house  of  Calthorpe.  The  Goughs  derive  their  name  from  John 
Gech,  or  Gough,  of  the  principality,  living  in  time  of  Henry  IV. 

“  Henry  Gough,  father  of  Elizabeth,  purchased  the  lordship  and 
seat  of  Old-Fallings  in  Staffordshire,  and  was  amongst  the  most 
zealous  adherents  of  Charles  I.,  devoting  himself,  heart  and  for¬ 
tune,  to  the  service  of  that  ill-fated  prince. 

“  His  Majesty,  during  his  troubles,  stopped  at  Wolverhampton, 
where  he  was  entertained  by  Madam  St.  Andrew,  a  near  con¬ 
nection  of  Mr.  Gough  ;  and  that  gentleman  himself  ventured  to 
accommodate  their  royal  Highnesses,  Charles,  Prince  of  Wales, 
and  James,  Duke  of  York.  An  ancient  tenement  still  remains  at 
Wolverhampton,  which  is  part  of  the  house  wherein  these  princely 
guests  resided. 

“  A  subscription  being  set  afoot  to  aid  the  exigencies  of  the 
royal  cause,  the  inhabitants  cheerfully  contributed  according  to 
their  ability :  but  the  most  ample  supply  was  expected  from  Mr. 
Gough,  whose  loyalty  was  as  prominent  as  his  fortune  was  supe¬ 
rior;  when,  to  the  great  surprise  and  disappointment  of  every 
one,  he  refused  any  assistance,  though  strongly  urged  by  the 
king’s  commissioners,  who  returned  in  disgust  and  chagrin. 
When  night  approached,  putting  on  his  hat  and  cloak,  Mr.  Gough 
went  secretly,  and  solicited  a  private  audience  of  his  Majesty. 


5° 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


This  appearing  an  extraordinary  request,  the  dangerous 

A.D.  1663. 

' .  circumstances  of  the  times  considered,  the  lord-in-waiting 
wished  to  know  the  object  of  the  request,  with  an  offer  to  com¬ 
municate  it  to  the  king.  Mr.  Gough  persisting,  however,  to 
decline  this  medium  of  communication,  after  much  interrogation 
obtained  admission  to  the  royal  presence.  He  then  drew  from  his 
cloak  a  purse  containing  a  large  sum  of  money,*  and,  presenting 
it  with  due  respect,  said,  — 

“  ‘  May  it  please  your  Majesty  to  accept  this :  it  is  all  the  cash 
I  have  about  me,  or  I  would  have  brought  more.’  The  gift  was 
so  acceptable  to  the  king,  that  an  offer  of  knighthood  was  made 
to  Mr.  Gough ;  but  this  loyal  subject,  having  no  other  view  than 
to  serve  his  sovereign,  declined  the  honor,  which  was  afterwards 
conferred  upon  his  grandson,  Henry  of  Perry  Hall,  when  he  was 
introduced  into  the  court  of  Charles  II.,  and  had  mention  made 
of  the  ‘  loyalty  of  his  ancestors.’  ” 

Henry  Gough  died  in  1655. 


It  will  be  seen  that  John  Lee,  eldest  son  by  the  first  wife  of 
Launcelot  Lee,  died  unmarried;  hence  the  property  falls  to 
Thomas  Lee,  second  son,  who  had  four  children,  all  of  whom 
were  under  age  at  the  close  of  the  genealogy. 

Here  the  old  document  ends,  after  adding  another  coat-of-arms 

*  Family  tradition  says  twelve  hundred  pounds.  The  Goughs  were  so  affluent,  that  the 
country  people  used  to  say  of  this  gentleman  or  his  father,  — 


“Here’s  old  Justice  Gough, 
Who  has  money  enough.” 


w» 


RICHARD  LEE 

RICHARDSON 


AND  COMPANY 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


51 


for  this  branch;  but  we  are  enabled  to  continue  the 

A.D.  1663. 

record  to  the  present  time,  through  Richard  Lee,  third 
son  of  Launcelot  Lee  by  his  first  wife,  who  emigrated  to  America 
about  the  year  1641,  and  whose  posterity  are  now  widely  scattered 
over  our  Southern  land. 

This  Richard  Lee  is  the  pioneer  of  the  family  in  America. 
He  was  married  twice,  as  we  learn  from  his  will,  which  is  sub¬ 
joined.  The  second  marriage  took  place  about  the  year 
1640. 

We  give  an  extract  from  a  letter  of  William  Lee,  Esq.,  of 
Tower  Hill,  London  (son  of  the  celebrated  President  Thomas 
Lee,  whose  history  we  give  hereafter),  concerning  this  Richard 
Lee.  The  letter  is  dated  1771. 

“  Richard  Lee,  of  good  family  in  Shropshire,  and  whose  picture, 
I  am  told,  is  now  at  Cotton,  near  Bridgworth,  the  seat  of  Laun¬ 
celot  Lee,  Esq.,  some  time  in  the  reign  of  Charles  I.,  went  over 
to  the  colony  of  Virginia  as  secretary,  and  one  of  the  king’s  privy 
council,  which  last  part  will,  for  shortness,  be  called  ‘  of  the 
council.’  He  was  a  man  of  good  stature,  comely  visage,  enter¬ 
prising  genius,  a  sound  head,  vigorous  spirit,  and  generous  nature. 
When  he  got  to  Virginia,  which  at  that  time  was  not  much  culti¬ 
vated,  he  was  so  well  pleased  with  the  country  that  he  made  large 
settlements  there  with  the  servants  he  carried  over.  After  some 
years,  he  returned  to  England,  and  gave  all  the  lands  he  had 
taken  up  and  settled  at  his  expense,  to  those  servants  he  had 
fixed  on  them,  some  of  whose  descendants  are  now  possessed  of 
very  considerable  estates  in  that  colony.  After  staying  some 
time  in  England,  he  returned  to  Virginia  with  a  fresh  band  of 
adventurers.”  .  .  . 

The  remainder  of  the  article  is  somewhat  similar  to  the  one 


52 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


already  referred  to  in  our  Introduction,  from  which  we 

A.D.  1663.  J 

now  quote  concerning  Richard  Lee  :  — 

“  Richard  Lee,  one  of  the  younger  branches  of  the  House  of 
Litchfield,  emigrated  to  America  early  in  the  year  1641.  He  and 
Sir  William  Berkeley  kept  the  colony  to  its  allegiance  during  the 
civil  war  between  Charles  I.  and  Cromwell.  While  Charles  II. 
was  at  Breda,  Richard  Lee  went  over  and  had  a  private  con¬ 
ference  with  him  in  regard  to  the  colony.  On  his  return,  he 
and  Berkeley  succeeded  in  having  Charles  II.  proclaimed  king 
of  England,  France,  Scotland,  Ireland,  and  Virginia.*  In  grati¬ 
tude  for  this  loyalty,  on  the  Restoration,  Charles  ordered  the 
arms  of  Virginia  to  be  added  to  those  of  England,  France, 
Scotland,  and  Ireland,  with  the  motto,  ‘  En  dat  Virginia  quin- 
tam.’  ”  f 

Mr.  Charles  Campbell,  in  his  highly  interesting  “  History  of 
Virginia,”  thus  notices  Richard  Lee :  — 

“  Richard  Lee,  first  of  the  family  in  Virginia,  great  grandfather 
of  Richard  Henry  Lee,  a  cavalier,  emigrated  from  England  to 
Virginia  during  the  civil  commotions,  in  the  time  of  Charles  I., 
and,  making  several  voyages  to  the  mother-country,  brought  over 
with  him  a  number  of  followers,  each  of  whom  received  a  portion 
of  land,  under  the  title  of  ‘  head-rights.’  He  probably  settled  first 


*  This  circumstance  has  been  questioned  by  some  historians. 

t  In  confirmation  of  this  fact,  the  editor  of  this  work  has  in  his  possession  a  copper  coin, 
which  was  ploughed  up  on  his  farm,  in  Albemarle  County,  Va.,  of  the  following  descrip¬ 
tion  :  On  one  side  a  head,  with  the  words,  “  Georgius  III.  Rex ;  ”  on  the  other,  a  shield, 
surmounted  by  a  crown,  upon  which  are  quartered  the  arms  of  England,  Scotland,  Ireland,  and 
Virginia,  the  whole  encircled  with  the  word,  “Virginia,  1773.”  We  thus  learn  the  origin  of 
the  term  Old  Dominion,  which  has  since  been  applied  to  the  State  of  Virginia.  There  is  one 
other  similar  coin  now  existing,  which  is  in  possession  of  the  Massachusetts  Historical 
Society. 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


53 


in  York,  for  he  appears  a  burgess  of  that  county,  a.d. 

.  A.D.  1663. 

1647  (1  Henning  Stat.  at  Large,  p.  339).” 

The  will  of  Richard  Lee  is  also  found  in  the  same  work,  as 
furnished  by  Mrs.  Susan  H.  Thornton,  one  of  his  descendants. 
This  will  is  dated  1663,  just  previous  to  his  last  voyage  to  Vir¬ 
ginia.  The  following  is  an  extract  from  it :  — 

“  I,  Col.  Richard  Lee,  of  Virginia,  and  lately  of  Strafford-Lang- 
ton  in  the  county  of  Essex,  Esq.,  being  bound  out  upon  a  voyage 
to  Virginia  aforesaid,  and  not  knowing  how  it  may  please  God  to 
dispose  of  me  in  so  long  a  voyage,  —  First,  I  give  and  bequeath 
my  soul  to  that  good  and  gracious  God  that  gave  it  me,  and  to 
my  blessed  Redeemer,  Jesus  Christ,  assuredly  trusting  in  and  by 
his  meritorious  death  and  passion  to  receive  salvation,  and  my 
body  to  be  disposed  of,  whether  by  sea  or  land,  according  to  the 
opportunity  of  the  place,  not  doubting  but  at  the  last  day  both 
body  and  soul  shall  be  united  and  glorified.  Also  my  will  and 
earnest  desire  is,  that  my  good  friends  (Thomas  Griffin  and  John 
Locky,  merchants  in  England)  will,  with  all  convenient  speed, 
cause  my  wife  and  children  —  all  except  Francis,  if  he  be 
pleased  —  to  be  transported  to  Virginia,  and  to  provide  all  neces¬ 
sary  for  the  voyage.  .  .  .  To  my  wife,  during  her  life,  I  give  the 
plantation  (Stratford)  whereon  I  now  reside,  ten  English  servants, 
five  negroes,  three  men  and  two  women,  twenty  sows,  and  corn 
proportionable  to  the  servants.  The  said  negroes  I  give  to  her 
during  her  widowhood,  and  no  longer,  and  then  presently  to 
return  to  those  of  the  five  youngest  children:  also  the  plantation 
Mock-Neck.  Item,  —  my  will  and  earnest  desire  is,  that  my 
household  stuff  at  Stratford  be  divided  into  three  parts,  two  of 
which  I  give  to  my  son  John,  and  bind  him  to  give  to  every  one 
of  his  brothers  a  bed,  and  the  other  third  I  give  to  my  wife,  Anna 


54 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


Lee.  Item,  —  I  give  all  my  plate  to  my  three  eldest 
a.d.  1663.  .  ;  1  J 

sons  or  the  survivor  or  survivors  of  them,  each  to  have 

his  part  delivered  to  him  when  he  comes  to  the  age  of  eighteen 
years.  Item, —  I  give  to  my  son  John  and  his  heirs  forever,  when 
he  comes  to  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  all  my  land  and  planta¬ 
tion  at  Matholick,  all  the  stock  of  cattle  and  hogs  thereupon, 
also  ten  negroes ;  viz.,  five  men  and  five  women,  and  ten  English 
servants  for  their  times,  &c.”  He  likewise  bequeaths  his  planta¬ 
tion  Paradise,  and  the  servants  there,  &c.,  to  Richard.  The 
Paper-Makers ’-Neck  and  War-Captains’-Neck,  with  five  negroes 
and  ten  English  servants,  to  Francis.  To  his  five  younger  chil¬ 
dren,  William,  Hancock,  Betsy,  Ann,  and  Charles,  the  testator 
bequeaths  a  plantation  including  Bishop’s-Neck,  four  thousand 
acres  of  land  on  the  Potomac,  and  the  remainder  of  two  planta¬ 
tions,  after  the  death  of  his  wife,  together  with  the  residue  of  his 
estate,  real  and  personal.  To  his  eldest  son,  John,  he  bequeaths 
“  three  islands  lying  in  the  Bay  of  Chesapeake,  the  great  bed 
that  I  brought  over  the  last  year  in  ‘  The  Duke  of  York,’  and  the 
furniture  thereto  belonging.”  To  William,  he  bequeaths  his  lands 
on  the  Maryland  side:  “also  my  will  is,  that  goods  sufficient  be 
set  apart  for  the  maintenance  of  the  gangs  of  each  plantation  for 
the  space  of  two  years,  and  all  the  rest  of  the  goods  to  be  sold  to 
the  best  advantage,  and  the  tobacco  shipt  home  to  Mr.  Lockey 
and  Mr.  Griffith,  & c.”  To  Francis,  he  gives  his  interest,  “  being 
,  one-eighth  part  in  the  ship  ‘  Elizabeth  and  Mary,’  and  the  ship 
‘Susan.’”  The  will  provides  for  a  fund  “for  the  better  education 
of  John  and  Richard  equally,  to  assist,  the  one  in  his  travel  for  the 
attainment  of  a  reasonable  perfection  in  the  knowledge  of  physick  ; 
the  other  at  the  University  or  the  Inns  of  Court,  which  he  shall 
be  most  fit  for.” 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


55 


From  these  several  extracts,  we  have  much  variance 

A.D.  1663. 

as  to  time  and  locality.  From  the  first,  we  infer  that 
this  Richard  Lee  is  from  Cotton,  the  residence  of  his  father, 
Launcelot  Lee  :  the  second  article  speaks  of  him  as  of  the 
“  House  of  Litchfield,”  of  which  we  have  no  mention  in  our  table. 
In  the  will,  however,  he  speaks  of  himself  as  “lately  of  Strafford 
Langton,  in  the  county  of  Essex.”  We  also  gather  from  the 
tombstone  of  his  son,  Richard  Lee  of  Ditchly,  Westmoreland 
County,  that  he  is  “  descended  of  an  ancient  family  of  Merton- 
Regis,  Shropshire.”  The  old  genealogical  statement  is  at  vari¬ 
ance  with  each  of  these  accounts,  placing  him  from  Southwark,  a 
small  village  situated  on  the  Thames,  and  tributary  to  London, 
being  called  a  “  borough  ”  by  way  of  distinction. 

This  latter  was  doubtless  his  residence  during  the  lifetime  of 
his  first  wife,  Elizabeth  Langdon,  after  whose  death,  and  upon  his 
second  marriage,  he  removed  to  Essex,  from  whence  he  emigrated 
to  Virginia  as  above  stated.  That  the  first  Richard  Lee  of  Vir- 
ginia  was  of  the  House  of  “  Cotton,”  Shropshire,  and  a  descendant 
of  the  branch  here  recorded,  there  can  be  no  doubt ;  and  that 
Richard  Lee  of  Southwark  is  that  person  we  have  every  reason 
to  believe,  as  he  is  the  only  descendant  of  that  name  given  during 
that  period.  This  Richard  Lee  left  a  family  of  eight  children,  six 
sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of  whom  were  under  age  at  the 
writing  of  the  above  will.  His  son  Richard  inherited  the  home¬ 
stead  at  Westmoreland,  and  from  him  we  continue  to  trace  the 
family. 


56 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


Richard  Lee,  second  son  of  the  first  Richard,  was 
^1-14°  born  in  Virginia,  1646.  He  was  sent  to  England  with 
his  brother  to  complete  his  education.  He  graduated 
with  distinction  in  law,  and,  returning  to  his  native  State,  took  an 
active  part  in  its  legislative  councils. 

He  married  the  eldest  daughter  of  Henry  Corbin.  (This 
was  the  father  of  Col.  Thomas  Lee,  who  was  the  father  of 
Richard  Henry  Lee,  &c.)  He  settled  upon  his  large  estate  in 
Westmoreland  County,  where  he  built  the  old  family-seat, 
Ditchly,  the  ruins  of  which  are  still  to  be  seen. 

His  father-in-law,  Henry  Corbin,  in  the  year  1650,  came  to 
America,  and  settled  in  the  parish  of  Stratton-Major,  King  and 
Queen  County. 

The  tombstones  of  Richard  and  Letitia  Lee  are  still  to  be 
seen  in  the  Burnt  House  Lields,  at  Mount-Pleasant,  Westmore¬ 
land  County,  Va.  *  . 

“  Hie  conditur  corpus  Ricardi  Lee  armigeri  nati  in  Virginia 
fili  Ricardi  Lee,  generosi,  et  antiqua  familia  in  Merton-Regis  in 
comitatu  Salopsiensi  oriundi.  In  magistratum  obeundo  boni  pub- 
lici  studiosissimi,  in  literis  Grecis  et  Latinis  et  aliis  humanioris 
literature  disciplinis  versatissimi. 

“  Deo  quern  summa  observantia  semper  coluit  animam  tran- 
quillus  reddidit  xii  mo.  die  Martii  anno  “  MDCCXIV. ;  etat 
LXVIII.” 

“  Hie  Juxta  situm  est  corpus  Letitia  ejusdem  uxoris  fide, 
filie  Henrici  Corbyne,  Generosi,  liberorum  matris  amantissime, 
pietate  erga  Deum  charitate,  erga  egenos,  benignitate  erga  omnes 
insignis.  Obiit  Octob,  dii  vi.  MDCCVI.  etatis  XLIX.” 


IP 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


57 


“  Here  lieth  the  body  of  Richard  Lee,  Esq.,  born  in 

.  .  A.D.  1714. 

Virginia,  son  of  Richard  Lee,  gentleman,  descended  of 
an  ancient  family  of  Merton-Rcgis  in  Shropshire.  While  he 
exercised  the  office  of  a  magistrate,  he  was  a  zealous  promoter 
of  the  public  good.  He  was  very  skilful  in  Greek  and  Latin 
languages,  and  other  parts  of  polite  learning. 

“  He  quietly  resigned  his  soul  to  God,  whom  he  always  devoutly 
worshipped,  on  the  12th  day  of  March,  in  the  year  1714,  in  the 
sixty-eighth  year  of  his  age. 

“  Near  by  is  interred  the  body  of  Lettuce,  his  faithful  wife, 
daughter  of  Henry  Corbin,  gentleman.  A  most  affectionate 
mother,  she  was  also  distinguished  by  piety  toward  God,  charity 
to  the  poor,  and  kindness  to  all.  She  died  on  the  6th  October, 
1 706,  in  the  forty-ninth  year  of  her  age.” 

Richard  Lee  left  five  sons,  —  Richard,  Philip,  Francis,  Thomas, 
and  Henry.  Richard  Lee,  the  eldest,  married  Miss  Silk  of  Lon¬ 
don,  who  left  three  children,  one  of  whom  married  another  of  the 
Corbin  Family.  Thomas  Lee  (of  whom  we  will  presently  speak 
more  fully)  married  Miss  Ludwell ;  and  Henry  Lee,  fifth  son 
(great  grandfather  of  Gen.  Robert  E.  Lee),  married  Miss  Bland. 

From  contemporary  records  we  gather  further  particulars  of 
this  Richard  Lee,  furnished  chiefly  by  William  Lee  of  London. 

“  .  .  .  Richard  Lee  (second  son  of  the  first  Richard)  spent 
almost  his  whole  life  in  study,  and  usually  wrote  his  notes  in 
Hebrew,  Greek,  or  Latin,  many  of  which  arc  now  in  Virginia;  so 
that  he  neither  improved  nor  diminished  his  paternal  estate, 
though,  at  that  time,  he  might  with  case  have  acquired  what  would, 
at  this  day,  produce  a  princely  revenue.  He  was  of  the  council 

of  Virginia,  and  also  in  other  offices  of  honor  and  profit,  though 
8 


53 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


they  yielded  little  to  him.  He  married  Miss  Corbin, 

A.D.  1714.  7  J 

and  left  behind  him  five  sons  —  Richard,  Philip,  Francis, 
Thomas,  and  Henry  —  and  one  daughter. 

“  Richard  settled  in  London  as  a  Virginia  merchant,  in 
partnership  with  one  Thomas  Corbin,  a  brother  of  his 
mother.  He  married  an  heiress  in  England,  of  the  name 
of  Silk ;  and  left  one  son,  George,  and  two  daughters,  Lettuce 
and  Martha.  These  three  children  went  to  Virginia  and  settled. 
George  married  a  Wormley  there,  who  died,  leaving  one 
daughter ;  then  he  married  a  Fairfax,  nearly  related  to  Lord 
Fairfax  of  Yorkshire,  and  died,  leaving,  by  his  last  marriage,  three 
sons,  who  are  now  minors,  and  are  at  school  in  England, 
under  the  care  of  Mr.  James  Russel.  Lettuce  married 
a  Corbin,  and  her  sister  married  a  Turbiville  :  their  eldest  children 
intermarried,  from  which  union  George  Lee  Turbiville, 
now  at  school  at  Winton  College,  is  the  eldest  issue.” 

Philip,  the  second  son,  went  to  Maryland  early  in  1700,  and 
settled ;  and  is  the  head  of  the  Maryland  branch  of  the  Lee 
Family,  of  which  we  give  a  full  account  at  page  1 13. 

“  Francis,  the  third  son,  died  a  bachelor.  Thomas, 
the  fourth  son,  though  with  none  but  a  common  Vir¬ 
ginia  education,  yet  having  strong  natural  parts,  learned  the 
languages  without  any  assistance  but  his  own  genius,  and  became 
a  tolerable  adept  in  the  Greek  and  Latin.  .  .  .  This  Thomas  Lee, 
by  his  industry  and  parts,  acquired  a  considerable  fortune ;  for 
being  the  younger  brother,  with  many  children,  his  paternal  estate 
was  very  small.  He  was  also  appointed  of  the  council;  and, 
though  he  had  few  acquaintances  in  England,  he  was  so  well 
known  by  his  reputation,  that,  upon  his  receiving  a  loss  by  fire, 
the  late  Queen  Caroline  sent  him  over  a  bountiful  supply  from 


A.D.  177-. 


A.D.  1744. 


A.D.  1777. 


C  O  L  T  H  OMAS  L  E  E 


IRxciiarflfian.  &  Company. 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


59 


her  privy  purse.  Upon  the  late  Sir  William  Gooche 

A.D.  1 77-. 

being  recalled,  who  had  been  some  time  governor  of 
Virginia,  he  became  president  of  the  council  and  commander-in¬ 
chief  of  the  colony,  in  which  station  he  continued  for  some 
time,  until  the  king  thought  proper  to  appoint  him  governor  of 
the  colony;  but  he  died  before  his  commission  got  to  him.  He 
left  by  his  marriage  six  sons  —  Philip  Ludwell,  Thomas  Ludwell, 
Richard  Henry,  Francis  Lightfoot,  William,  and  Arthur  —  and 
two  daughters,  all  well  provided  for  in  point  of  fortune.” 


The  Hon.  Thomas  Lee,  fourth  son  of  Richard  Lee,  is 
given  us  in  history  as  one  of  the  most  prominent  men  ^0DI7^14 
of  the  early  times  of  Virginia.  Of  the  exact  date  of  his 
birth  and  early  life  we  have  no  record.  The  earliest  mention  of 
him  is  from  the  article  just  quoted;  and  we  also  find  him  spoken 
of  in  the  article  referred  to  in  our  Introduction,  as  “the  first 
native  governor  of  Virginia  under  the  English  government;  and 
so  popular  was  he  in  England,  that,  having  suffered  a  severe  loss 
by  fire,  Oueen  Caroline  sent  him  a  large  sum  of  money  from  her 
privy  purse,  with  an  autograph  letter.  The  fine  mansion  of  Strat¬ 
ford  was  built  for  Thomas  Lee,  by  the  East  India  Company.” 

Thomas  Lee  married  Hanna  Ludwell,  daughter  of  Col.  Philip 
Ludwell,  of  Green-Springs,  president  of  the  council :  she  was 
grand-daughter  of  old  Philip  Ludwell,  the  first  of  the  family  in 
Virginia. 

Stratford  Hall,  the  residence  of  President  Lee,  has  been  ren¬ 
dered  famous,  not  only  from  the  circumstances  under  which  it 


6o 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


was  built,  but  as  the  sweat  centre  of  genial  old  Virginia 

A.D.  1756.  .  0  ° 

hospitality.  Here  was  the  headquarters  of  the  fashion, 
genius,  and  nobility  of  the  Old  Dominion ;  and  its  extensive 
halls  and  massive  corridors  not  only  resounded  to  the  strains  of 
martial  music  and  the  festive  dance,  but  also  to  the  powerful  voice 
of  genius,  as  it  eloquently  went  forth  to  establish  the  political 
events  of  the  country. 

Stratford  Hall  is  still  standing ;  and  as  a  distinguished  writer, 
in  speaking  of  it,  says,  “  Chantilly,  the  home  of  the  eloquent  Lee, 
is  in  ruins ;  but  Stratford,  his  birthplace ,  still  stands  on  the  Poto¬ 
mac,  as  stately  as  when  it  was  first  erected  one  hundred  and 
twenty  years  ago,  at  the  expense  of  Queen  Caroline,  for  his  father, 
Thomas  Lee,  then  president  of  the  council.  Stratford  has  no  su¬ 
perior  in  Virginia,  and  but  one  rival,  Rosewell,  on  the  York.” 

In  a  letter  received  from  Mr.  Charles  Carter  Lee  of  Powhattan, 
Va.,  he  thus  speaks  of  the  old  mansion  :  — 

“  In  Bishop  Meade’s  work  on  ‘  Old  Families  of  Virginia,’  there 
is  an  engraving  of  Stratford  as  it  now  appears :  but,  when  I  was  a 
boy,  the  chimneys  of  the  house  were  the  columns  of  two  summer¬ 
houses,  between  which  there  was  a  balustrade ;  and  in  Col.  Philip 
Lee’s  time,  during  the  evening  promenade  of  ladies  and  gentle¬ 
men,  a  band  of  music  played  the  while  in  one  of  the  summer¬ 
houses.  Col.  Philip  also  kept  a  barge,  in  which  the  family  en¬ 
joyed  the  music  of  his  band  upon  the  water.  But  the  house  is 
more  remarkable  for  being  the  birthplace  of  two  of  the  signers 
of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  and  also  of  my  brother 
Robert,  who  was  born  in  the  same  chamber  as  they  were.”  In 
his  “Virginia  Georgies,”  Mr.  Lee  thus  poetically  refers  to  Strat¬ 
ford  :  — 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


61 


“  On  the  Potomac  cloth  a  mansion  stand, 

Whose  walls  were  built  of  brick  from  Old  England ; 

Eight  chimneys  formed  two  summer-house  pillars, 

From  which  were  seen  Potomac’s  sea-like  billows  ; 

Tall  Lombardy  poplars,  in  lengthened  row, 

Far  o’er  the  woods  a  dwelling’s  signal  show, — 

A  pillar  of  cloud  by  day  to  guide  the  stranger 

To  a  generous  board,  and  his  horse  to  a  good  manger. 

This  was  the  old  seat  of  the  Lees,  renowned 

For  what  none  else  can  boast  of  on  the  ground,  — 

For  being  the  birthplace  of  two  of  the  signers 
Of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  Mine  was 
Here,  too,  a  circumstance  to  others  worthless, 

But  much  to  me,  for  I  am  fond  of  my  birthplace, 

And  am  glad  the  sun  first  greeted  me  on  earth 
Where  the  moon  of  independence  had  his  birth. 

“  I  think  there  was  a  mile  of  solid  wall 
Surrounding  offices,  garden,  stables,  and  all  ; 

And  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  garden  one, 

Pomegranates  ripened  in  the  morning  sun  ; 

And  farther  off,  yet  sheltered  by  it,  grew 
Figs,  such  as  those  Alcinous’  garden  knew, 

And  owned,  when  they  increased  my  childhood’s  blisses, 

By  him  who  was  called  the  American  Ulysses.* 

“Yet  at  the  end  of  this  long  wall,  where  played 
So  often  in  the  soft  pomegranate’s  shade, 

Phil,  Tom,  Dick,  Henry,  Francis  Lightfoot  Lee, 

William,  and  Arthur,  in  their  childhood’s  glee, 

Destined,  at  length,  to  be  such  famous  men, 

Was  formed  at  the  same  structure  a  pig-pen  : 

Perhaps  its  best  description  is,  ’twas  one 
End  of  the  wall  shaped  to  an  octagon.”  f 

*  Col.  Henry  Lee,  of  the  Legion,  who  was  thus  styled  by  Col.  Howard. 

t  See  Virginia  Georgies ,  p.  41. 


62 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


Another  writer  thus  describes  the  mansion  :  — 

A.D.  1756. 

“  For  the  thickness  of  its  walls,  and  the  excellency  of 
its  architecture,  it  is  not  surpassed,  if  equalled,  by  any  in  Virginia. 
An  American  writer  says  there  were  one  hundred  rooms  in  the 
house ;  but  a  view  of  it  will  show  how  untrue  this  is :  even 
including  the  basement  and  large  hall,  there  are  not  more,  I 
think,  than  seventeen,  and  never  were  more.  Another  author 
says  there  were  one  hundred  stalls  for  horses,  as  equally  untrue.” 

The  following  simple  inscription  upon  the  tomb  of  Thomas 
Lee  is  still  to  be  seen  at  the  family-vault,  near  the  old  family- 
seat  :  — 

“  In  memory  of  the  Hon.  Thomas  Lee, 

Whose  body  was  buried  at  Pope’s-Creek 
Church,  five  miles  above  his 
Country  seat,  Stratford  Hall. 

a.d.  1756.” 

By  the  marriage  of  Thomas  Lee,  we  have  eight  children,  six 
sons  and  two  daughters,  each  of  whom  is  famous  in  the  annals 
of  our  country,  and  will  require  a  separate  notice. 

Thomas  Lee  (known  as  President  Lee)  was  father 
of  Philip  Ludwell,  Richard  Henry,  Thomas,  Francis 
Lightfoot,  and  William,  and  Arthur.  We  add,  in  the 
language  of  Mr.  Charles  Campbell,  “As  Westmoreland,  their 
native  county,  is  distinguished  above  all  others  in  Virginia  as  the 
birthplace  of  genius,  so,  perhaps,  no  other  Virginian  could  boast 
so  many  distinguished  sons  as  President  Lee.” 

Philip  Ludwell  Lee,  the  eldest  son,  was  born  at  Stratford.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  house  of  burgesses,  and  took  an  active  part 
in  the  commencement  of  the  struggle  for  independence. 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


63 


He  resided  at  Stratford,  and  maintained  the  generous 


A.D.  1756. 


hospitality  of  his  father,  as  we  learn  from  his  descend¬ 
ant,  Mr.  Charles  Carter  Lee.  He  married  Miss  Steptoe  of  Vir¬ 
ginia,  and  had  two  daughters,  Matilda  and  Flora;  one,  the  wife 
of  the  celebrated  partisan  leader,  Gen.  Henry  Lee ;  the  other, 
the  wife  of  Ludwell  Lee  of  Loudon  County,  Va. 

Thomas  Ludwell  Lee,  the  second  son,  who  bears  the  name  of 
both  parents,  was  also  prominent  in  the  military  movements  of 
the  times ;  and  was  one  of  the  first  to  lead  Virginians  against  the 
invaders  of  their  rights. 

We  learn  from  the  Hon.  Judge  Daniel  of  Virginia,  that  “Col. 
Thomas  Ludwell  Lee  owned  a  plantation  on  the  Potomac  Creek, 
called  Belle  View.  His  son,  who  bore  his  name,  removed  to 
London:  one  of  his  daughters  married  Daniel  Carroll  Brent  of 
Richland,  Stafford  County,  and  the  other,  Dr.  John  Dalrymple 
of  Prince  William  County.” 

The  wife  of  Thomas  Ludwell  Lee  was  Miss  Aylett,  of  an 
ancient  Virginia  family. 

Richard  Henry  Lee,  the  great  political  leader,  was  born  at  Strat¬ 
ford,  on  the  banks  of  the  Potomac,  on  the  20th  of  January,  1732, 
the  year  of  the  birth  of  Gen.  Washington,  and  scarce  a  month 
before  that  event. 

He  completed  his  academic  education  in  England ;  and,  at  an 
early  age,  returned  to  Virginia,  where  he  pursued  his  studies  until 
the  year  1755,  when  he  raised  a  company  of  volunteers  in  aid  of 
Gen.  Braddock;  but  his  expectations  failed,  as  that  gen¬ 
eral  refused  more  troops.  At  the  early  age  of  twenty-  ^jD[.1'56 
five,  he  was  appointed  a  justice  for  his  county,  a  position 
which  then  was  rarely  given  to  one  of  his  years. 

Being  afterwards  sent  to  the  house  of  burgesses  from  his 


64 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


county,  he  rapidly  rose  to  distinction,  and  soon  com- 
a.d.  1,56  manc]ec[  the  attention  and  respect  of  the  house. 

to  1794.  1 

His  first  great  political  act  was  produced  in  1764, 
being  a  remonstrance  to  the  king  and  house  of  lords  against 
the  tax  act,  “which,”  says  his  grandson  and  biographer,  “contains 
the  genuine  principles  of  the  Revolution,  and  abounds  in  the  firm 
and  eloquent  sentiments  of  freemen.” 

But  the  greatest  and  most  important  act  of  his  political  career 
was  his  great  motion  of  10th  June,  1776,  —  “  That  these  United 
Colonies  are,  and  of  right  ought  to  be,  free  and  independent 
States ;  that  they  are  absolved  from  all  allegiance  to  the  British 
crown ;  and  that  all  political  connection  between  them  and  Great 
Britain  is,  and  ought  to  be,  totally  absolved.” 

We  can  almost  hear  these  stirring  and  patriotic  notes  as  they 
ring  upon  the  ears  of  his  entranced  hearers,  and  can  almost  see 
that  tall  spare  form,  “  his  head,”  in  the  language  of  a  kindred 
spirit,  “leaning  persuasively  and  gracefully  forward;  his  Roman 
profile,  which  instantly  marked  him  out  from  lobby  or  gallery; 
his  action,  polished  with  such  rare  skill,  that  the  loss  of  the  fingers 
of  his  left  hand  failed  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  observer;  his 
flowing  eloquence,  set  off  by  the  modulated  tones  of  a  sweet 
voice;  his  classic  wit;  his  devotion  to  his  country;  and  his  calm 
and  ardent  piety,  which  gilded  his  pathway  almost  from  the  cradle 
to  the  grave,  —  all  of  which,”  as  the  writer  adds,  “as  they  are  con¬ 
templated  by  us  with  delight  at  the  distance  of  two  generations, 
so  they  will  be  remembered  with  grateful  admiration  for  all  time 
to  come.” 

After  serving  for  many  years,  both  in  the  congressional  and 
state  councils,  and  after  seeing  the  establishment  of  a  “permanent 
government  ”  as  the  fruit  of  his  labors,  he  was  forced  by  failing 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


65 


health  to  resign  his  seat  in  Congress;  and  retiring  to 

O  O  7  O  a  -ta 

A.D.  1794. 

Chantilly,  his  seat  upon  the  Potomac,  died  June  19, 
a.d.  1 794,  mourned  and  beloved  by  a  grateful  country. 

Richard  Henry  Lee  was  twice  married.  His  first  wife  was 
Miss  Aylett;  his  second,  Miss  Pinkard.  He  had  seven  children. 

Francis  Lightfoot  Lee,  like  his  brothers,  took  an  active  part  in 
the  political  and  military  events  of  the  time  in  which  he  lived. 

He  married  Rebecca  Tayloe,  a.d.  1769. 

William  Lee,  fifth  son  of  President  Lee,  married  Miss  Ludwell, 
and  resided  at  Great  Tower  Hill,  London.  We  subjoin  a  very 
interesting  letter  from  him  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  H.  Lee,  warden  to 
Winchester  College,  England,  which  throws  much  light  upon  the 
family  history. 

“  Letter  from  William  Lee,  Esq.,  of  Virginia,  dated  Great 
Tower  Hill,  London,  1771,  to  Rev.  Dr.  H.  Lee,  warden  of  Win¬ 
chester  College,  England.” 

“Sir, —  It  gave  me  much  pleasure  to  find  from  a  conversation 
the  other  day  with  Mr.  Batson,  my  banker,  who  speaks  very 
highly  in  your  praise,  that  we  were  of  the  same  family.  He  tells 
me  you  are  the  second  son  of  the  late  Eldred  Lancelot  Lee  of 
Coton,  in  Shropshire,  and  that  your  elder  brother  is  now  at  Aix, 
in  the  south  of  France,  for  the  recovery  of  his  health.  I  know 
your  father  corresponded  with  mine,  who  was  one  of  the  king’s 
privy  council  in  Virginia,  and,  when  he  died,  was  president  and 
commander-in-chief  over  that  colony ;  and  I  remember,  when  a 
little  boy  in  Virginia,  to  have  seen  and  read  a  very  sensible  letter, 
and  well  written,  from  your  father  to  mine,  giving  an  accurate 
genealogical  account  of  our  family  from  so  old  a  date  as  the 
Saxon  government  in  this  country ;  from  which  people  I  am  sure 
9 


66 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


he  traced  the  descent  of  our  family.  From  that  account, 

A.D.  1794.  .  J 

it  appeared  that  Cotton ,  or  Coton ,  was  the  eldest  branch ; 
and  his  immediate  predecessor,  who  went  to  Virginia  about  one 
hundred  and  thirty  years  ago  as  secretary  of  the  king’s  privy 
council,  was  a  younger  brother.  I  remember  one  observation  he 
made,  which  struck  my  young  mind  very  forcibly.  He  says,  ‘  ’Tis 
worthy  of  remark,  that,  in  so  long  a  period,  there  has  been  neither 
spendthrift  nor  usurer  in  the  family  ;  the  children  moderately 
using  the  patrimony  left  them,  without  adding  much  to  the  store, 
by  which  means  they  have  always  continued  independent;  and, 
not  being  ambitious,  they  have  kept  nearly  the  same  rank  in 
life  through  so  many  centuries  as  the  original  stock  was  in,  which 
is  more  than  can  be  said  of  most  families  in  the  kingdom :  ’  which 
remark  is  surprisingly  verified  by  the  family  in  Virginia,  which 
has  continued,  from  father  to  son,  to  be  placed  in  the  highest 
offices  of  honor  in  the  colonies  ever  since  the  first  Richard  Lee, 
my  great-grandfather,  who  went  there  one  hundred  and  thirty 
years  ago  to  this  very  day;  and  I  believe  every  inch  of  property 
left  them  as  his  (which  was  considerable)  is  now  in  the  possession 
of  his  immediate  descendants.  As  your  father  was  a  gentleman 
of  learning  and  observation,  I  do  not  doubt  his  having  left  behind 
him  some  historical  account  of  the  family,  and  I  shall  be  particu¬ 
larly  obliged  to  you  for  any  information  you  can  give  me  about  it, 
as  I  am  anxious  to  know  all  the  different  branches  in  this  country. 
Pray,  is  not  the  Earl  of  Litchfield  of  our  family?  for  he  has  the 
name,  and,  I  think,  bears  the  arms.  Have  we  any  relations  in  or 
near  London,  as  I  find  there  are  many  of  our  name  ?  I  shall  be 
glad  to  hear  of  your  brother’s  recovery ;  and,  if  he  comes  to  London 
on  his  return,  I  shall  be  happy  to  see  him  on  Great  Tower  Hill, 
where  I  will  hope  for  the  honor  of  a  visit  from  you  when  you 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


6  7 


come  to  town ;  and  I  shall  with  much  pleasure  render 
you  any  services  here  that  are  in  my  power. 


A.U.  1794 


“Yours,  &c. 

“WM.  LEE.” 


We  also  learn  that  William  Lee  was  the  first  to  suggest  the 
steps  that  led  to  the  armed  neutrality  of  1780.  ’We  insert  a 
letter  on  this  subject,  addressed  to  his  kinsman  Thomas  Sim 
Lee,  governor  of  Maryland,  of  whom  we  give  an  interesting 
sketch  in  our  chapter  on  the  Maryland  branch  of  the  family. 
We  introduce  this  letter,  with  some  remarks  from  “  The  National 
Intelligencer”  of  1859,  which  will  increase  its  interest:  — 

“  William  Lee,  the  writer  of  the  communication,  as  we  learn 
from  the  gentleman  (a  lineal  descendant  of  Gov.  Lee)  to  whom  we 
are  indebted  for  the  privilege  of  laying  it  before  our  readers,  and 
as  is  also  stated  by  Mr.  Sparks  in  his  ‘  Diplomatic  Correspon¬ 
dence  of  the  American  Revolution,’  was,  in  July,  1777,  appointed 
by  the  Continental  Congress  a  commissioner  of  the  United  States 
to  the  courts  of  Vienna  and  Berlin.  At  the  commencement  of 
the  Revolution,  he  had  resided  several  years  in  London  as  a  mer¬ 
chant,  and  had  acquired  so  much  popularity,  that  he  was  chosen 
an  alderman  of  that  city,  which  post  he  held  at  the  breaking-out 
of  the  war.  It  is  a  little  remarkable,  that,  during  the  entire 
period  of  Mr.  Lee’s  public  agency  in  the  service  of  the  United 
States,  he  was  still  an  alderman  of  the  city  of  London.  He  sent 
his  resignation  to  the  common  council ;  but  they  declined  accept¬ 
ing  it,  on  account  of  the  alleged  difficulty  of  finding  a  suitable 
successor  whose  principles  agreed  with  those  of  the  majority. 
We  have  only  to  add,  that  William  Lee,  the  writer  of  the  follow¬ 
ing  letter,  was  the  brother  of  Richard  Henry  Lee,  Francis  Light- 
foot  Lee,  and  Arthur  Lee,  whose  names  are  more  familiarly 


68 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


known  from  their  more  public  connection  with  our 

A.D.  1794. 

Revolutionary  history ;  the  names  of  the  two  former 
being  found  subscribed  to  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 


“Brussels,  Dec.  10,  1780. 

“  Dear  Sir, —  I  embraced  the  earliest  opportunity  of  congratu¬ 
lating  you  on  the  signal  honor  done,  by  your  country,  to  your 
merit  and  abilities,  by  appointing  you  their  governor;  and,  though 
the  period  is  trying  and  difficult,  I  have  no  doubt  of  your  acquit¬ 
ting  yourself  in  the  important  station  to  the  advantage  of  your 
country  and  credit  of  yourself. 

“You  have  been  frequently  advised  of  the  enemy’s  plan  against 
North  Carolina,  Virginia,  and  Maryland,  which  was  adopted  since 
receiving  advice  of  the  capture  of  Charleston ;  and,  to  facilitate 
the  business,  many  suspicious  characters,  natives  of  those  States, 
that  have  been  in  England,  doing  no  good  to  us,  for  some  years 
past,  have  been  ordered  to  their  respective  countries  to  aid  the 
enemy’s  designs,  by  creating  division,  confusion,  and  disturbance 
in  your  councils  and  operations.  Should  any  such  characters 
now  come  among  you,  especially  if  they  have  passed  through  the 
enemy’s  quarters,  you  cannot  be  too  attentive  to  their  motions 
and  conduct.  It  is  said  that  they  have  permission  from  the 
British  ministry  to  take  the  oaths  to  their  respective  States,  for 
reasons  obvious.  By  Leslie’s  expedition  to  the  Chesapeake,  part 
of  the  enemy’s  grand  plan  has  begun  to  be  executed;  and,  if 
Leslie  succeeds  in  making  any  establishment  in  Virginia  or 
North  Carolina,  next  spring’s  campaign  will  be  opened  with  the 
greater  part  of  the  British  force  against  Virginia  and  Maryland, 
in  which  case  your  country  will  act  with  sound  wisdom  and 
policy  by  affording  very  powerful  assistance  to  Virginia,  which 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


69 


will  surely  prove  the  most  effectual  method  to  prevent 

...  A.D.  1794. 

the  horrors  of  war  from  raging  in  their  own  country,  and 

the  flames  from  seizing  their  own  houses.  Every  State  will  show 
its  wisdom  in  choosing  the  most  able  and  honest  men  among 
them,  and  who  have  an  interest  of  their  own  to  lose,  to  repre¬ 
sent  them  in  Congress.  The  system  of  general  and  long-con¬ 
tinued  embargoes  on  the  export  of  grain  and  provisions  ap¬ 
pears  to  me  bad  policy,  as  they  naturally  tend  to  produce 
scarcity,  and,  in  bad  seasons,  even  a  famine,  by  discouraging  agri¬ 
culture.  Your  operations  seem  to  have  been  much  distracted 
by  the  depreciation  of  your  paper  currency :  the  only  solid  rem¬ 
edy  seems  to  be  in  the  power  of  Congress ;  and  perhaps  it  has 
hitherto  been  neglected  because  it  is  plain  and  simple.  A  fund 
established  in  Europe,  (which  might  be  established  by  a  loan, 
until,  by  the  export  of  your  commodities,  it  might  be  supported 
on  easier  terms  to  America),  and  sacredly  appropriated  to  the  sole 
use  of  paying  the  interest  annually  of  the  paper  money,  would,  in 
a  little  time,  establish  the  credit  and  currency  of  your  paper  on  as 
solid  a  basis  as  the  bank-notes  of  England  or  Holland;  and  by 
this  means,  with  your  paper,  you  would  be  enabled  to  procure 
supplies  for  your  army  on  much  better  terms  than  you  have  done 
hitherto.  The  plan  of  conducting  such  a  business  is  so  plain,  that 
I  shall  only  add  my  sincere  wishes  it  may  speedily  be  adopted. 

“  The  British  ministry  have  certainly  promised  Gen.  Clinton  to 
send  him  in  the  spring  a  re -enforcement  of  ten  thousand  men, 
including  the  recruits  for  the  German  corps  now  in  America. 
Perhaps  some  may  flatter  you  that  the  enemy  will  not  be  able  to 
procure  such  a  number  to  send ;  but  I  request  you  not  to  deceive 
yourselves,  and  be  inattentive  to  your  true  interests,  by  relying 
on  such  rumors,  or  the  foreign  aid  that  may  be  promised  you 


70 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


^  ^  _  from  Europe :  no  people  can  be  in  safety  that  rely  on 
another  for  protection.  France  is  indeed  very  powerful, 
both  by  sea  and  land,  and  will,  no  doubt,  act  vigorously  against 
the  common  enemy;  but  so  many  accidents  and  untoward 
circumstances  have  intervened  to  render  abortive  all  the  at¬ 
tempts  they  have  hitherto  made  to  assist  us,  that,  in  common  sense 
and  prudence,  you  ought  not  to  trust  to  aid  that  is  to  come  from 
Europe.  If  it  does  come,  so  much  the  better,  as  you  may  then 
finish  the  war  at  once ;  but  place  your  confidence  on  yourselves 
alone,  and  then  you  cannot  be  essentially  hurt. 

“  The  Dutch  have  at  last  formally  acceded,  and  so  has  the  King 
of  Prussia,  to  the  treaty  of  armed  neutrality,  as  proposed  last 
spring  by  the  Empress  of  Russia,  and  since  entered  into  by 
Sweden  and  Denmark.  The  object  of  this  great  and  powerful 
league  is  to  support  the  freedom  of  general  commerce  and  navi¬ 
gation  against  the  unwarrantable  pretensions  of  Great  Britain ; 
therefore  she  must  now  quietly  permit  France  and  Spain  to  be 
supplied  with  naval  stores  for  the  support  of  their  navy,  or  enter 
into  a  war  with  this  tremendous  confederacy.  It  is,  however, 
impossible  for  her  to  resist,  which  must  finally  give  the  superi¬ 
ority  to  France  and  Spain.  I  feel  no  little  pleasure  in  communi¬ 
cating  to  you  the  completion,  so  far,  of  this  confederacy,  as  the  first 
traces  were  laid  by  myself,  two  years  ago ;  and,  if  Congress  had 
now  in  Europe  ministers  properly  authorized  to  negotiate  with 
those  powers,  it  would  not  be  difficult  to  obtain  a  general 
acknowledgment  from  them  of  the  independence  of  America, 
which  was  my  ultimate  object  in  forming  the  outlines  of  this 
scheme. 

“  The  public  news  in  England  you  will  see  in  all  the  papers 
that  go  by  this  conveyance ;  so  that  I  have  only  to  recommend 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


71 


to  you,  in  the  most  pressing  manner,  a  vigorous  exertion, 

A.D.  1794. 

unanimity,  and  confidence  in  yourselves,  which  may,  in 
all  probability,  end  the  war  this  year  in  your  favor. 

“We  humbly  present  our  respectful  compliments  to  your 
worthy  lady,  and  beg  you  to  believe  me  to  be,  at  all  times, 
dear  sir,  your  affectionate  relation,  and  most  obedient,  humble 
servant, 

“WILLIAM  LEE.” 

The  Armed  Neutrality  of  1780.  —  “It  is  known  to  every 
student  of  history  and  of  public  law,  that  the  usages  and  practices 
of  belligerent  nations,  from  the  earliest  times,  subjected  enemy’s 
goods,  in  neutral  vessels,  to  capture  and  condemnation  as  lawful 
prize  of  war.  This  prevalent  regulation  was,  however,  in  many 
cases,  suspended  by  treaty  stipulations,  forming  a  temporary  con¬ 
ventional  law  between  the  parties  to  such  compacts.  It  became, 
for  instance,  at  an  early  period,  an  object  of  interest  to  Holland, 
as  a  great  commercial  country  whose  permanent  policy  was 
pacific,  to  obtain  a  relaxation  of  the  severe  rules  which  had  been 
previously  recognized  in  maritime  warfare.  The  principle  that 
the  character  of  the  vessel  should  determine  that  of  the  cargo  was 
also  adopted  by  the  celebrated  Treaty  of  Utrecht,  in  1713,  subse¬ 
quently  confirmed  by  the  Treaties  of  1721  and  1739,  between 
Great  Britain  and  Spain,  and  by  the  Treaties  of  Aix-la-Chapelle  in 
1748,  and  of  Paris  in  1763,  between  Great  Britain,  Spain,  and 
France. 

“  Such,  says  Wheaton,  was  the  fluctuating  state  of  consuetudi¬ 
nary  and  conventional  law  prevailing  among  the  principal  mari¬ 
time  powers  of  Europe,  when  the  Declaration  of  Independence 
by  the  British  North-American  Colonies  gave  rise  to  a  maritime 


7  2 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


war  between  Great  Britain  and  France.  With  a  view 

A.D.  1794. 

to  conciliate  those  powers  which  remained  neutral 
in  this  war,  the  cabinet  of  Versailles  issued,  on  the  26th  of 
July,  1778,  an  ordinance  or  instruction  to  French  cruisers,  pro¬ 
hibiting  the  capture  of  neutral  vessels,  even  when  bound  to  or 
from  the  enemy’s  ports,  unless  laden,' in  whole  or  in  part,  with 
contraband  articles,  designed  for  the  enemy’s  use,  the  French 
government  reserving,  however,  the  right  to  revoke  this  conces¬ 
sion,  unless  the  enemy  should  adopt  a  reciprocal  measure  within 
six  months. 

“  The  British  Government,  far  from  adopting  any  such  measure, 
issued,  in  March,  1 780,  an  order  in  council  suspending  the  special 
stipulations  respecting  neutral  commerce  and  navigation  con¬ 
tained  in  the  treaty  of  alliance  of  1674,  between  Great  Britain  and 
Holland.  And  it  was  immediately  after  the  promulgation  of  this 
edict  that  the  Empress  Catharine  of  Russia  communicated  to  the 
belligerent  and  neutral  powers  of  Europe  the  famous  declaration 
of  neutrality,  the  principles  of  which  were  speedily  acceded  to  by 
France,  Spain,  and  the  United  States  of  America,  as  belligerent 
parties,  and  by  Denmark,  Sweden,  Prussia,  Holland,  the  Emperor 
of  Germany,  Portugal,  and  Naples,  as  neutral  powers. 

“  By  this  declaration  (which,  as  Wheaton  adds,  afterwards  be¬ 
came  the  basis  of  the  armed  neutrality  of  the  Baltic  powers),  the 
rule  that  free  ships  make  free  goods  was  adopted  without  the 
previously-associated  maxim  that  ‘  enemy  ships  should  make 
enemy  goods.’  The  British  Government  answered  this  formidable 
declaration  by  appealing  to  ‘  the  principles  generally  acknowl¬ 
edged  as  the  law  of  nations ;  ’  but  circumstances  compelled  it  to 
suppress,  for  a  time,  the  resentment  naturally  felt  towards  the 
parties  to  a  measure  which  so  greatly  crippled  British  supremacy 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


73 


on  the  seas,  and  aided  the  insurgent  colonies  in  their 

A.D.  1794. 

struggle  for  independence. 

“  In  ‘The  Intelligencer’  of  Saturday  last,  we  gave  an  interesting 
extract  from  a  recent  oration  of  George  Sumner,  Esq.,  of  Boston, 
in  which  the  authorship  of  this  famous  declaration  is  referred  to 
Florida  Blanca,  the  Spanish  minister  for  foreign  affairs  at  that 
date.  To  this  effect  Mr.  Sumner  remarks  as  follows:  — 

“‘One  of  our  wisest  statesmen,  John  Adams,  has  said,  “We 
owe  the  blessings  of  peace,  not  to  the  causes  assigned,  but  to  the 
armed  neutrality.”  And  who  was  the  real  author  of  the  armed 
neutrality?  Who  conceived  that  act?  and  who,  by  his  ingenuity 
and  indefatigable  perseverance,  led  Russia,  and,  with  her,  the 
northern  powers,  to  adopt  it  ?  Florida  Blanca,  the  minister  of 
Spain  ;  and  to  him  and  to  his  country  I  here  render  the  honor, 
with  all  the  more  pleasure  that  this  has  not  usually  been  done, 
and  that  the  documents  which  establish  their  claim  to  it  are  in  my 
possession.  For  such  aid  as  the  armed  neutrality  gave  us,  again 
we  have  to  thank  Spain.’ 

“  A  friend,  whose  attention  was  called  to  the  historical  memo¬ 
randa  cited  by  Mr.  Sumner,  has  obligingly  communicated  to  us 
the  subjoined  letter,  in  which  it  will  be  seen  that  the  writer,  un¬ 
known  to  common  fame,  though  not  without  honorable  historic 
traditions  connected  with  his  name,  claims  to  have  been  the  first 
to  suggest  the  steps  which  led  to  this  important  measure.  The 
letter,  which  was  written  in  December,  1780,  and  therefore  con¬ 
temporaneously  with  the  promulgation  of  the  armed  neutrality, 
is  from  the  pen  of  William  Lee,  a  native  of  Virginia;  and  is 
addressed  to  his  kinsman,  Thomas  Sim  Lee,  at  that  time,  and 
from  1779  to  1783,  the  governor  of  Maryland.” 


10 


74 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


The  sixth  son  of  President  Lee  was  Dr.  Arthur 

A.D.  1794. 

Lee  of  London  (who  is  supposed  to  have  brought  the 
ancient  genealogical  document  to  this  country),  whose  valuable 
services  to  his  country  in  negotiating  with  the  European  powers 
was  justly  appreciated  by  his  native  State,  which  presented  him 
with  forty  thousand  acres  of  land.  In  this  connection,  we  offer  a 
most  interesting  extract  from  a  letter  from  Baron  Neslerode  to 
Dr.  Arthur  Lee,  dated  Antwerp,  Dec.  20,  1782,  enclosed  in  a 
letter  to  his  kinsman,  Governor  Thomas  Sim  Lee  of  Maryland. 

Extract  of  a  letter  from  Baron  Neslerode  to  Dr.  A.  Lee,  dated 
Antwerp,  Dec.  20,  1782. 

“  The  Empress  of  Russia,  instead  of  furnishing  the  assistance  to 
the  Dutch  which  she  was  bound  to  do  by  the  treaty  of  armed 
neutrality,  has  been  amusing  them  with  an  offer  of  her  mediation 
for  a  particular  peace  with  Great  Britain.  This  mediation  the 
British  ministry  at  first  haughtily  rejected,  but  have  lately  ac¬ 
cepted  it  in  very  flattering  terms  to  the  empress,  on  condition, 
however,  that  the  Dutch  submit  to  their  terms. 

“  The  late  prime  minister,  Count  Parrin,  declared  in  council 
that  he  had  been  offered  one  hundred  thousand  pounds  sterling  by 
the  British  ministry,  which  he  had  rejected  with  disdain ;  and  he 
hoped  that  all  her  Majesty’s  ministers  would  act  in  the  same 
manner:  but  finding  himself  mistaken,  and  that  the  British  em¬ 
issaries  had  got  possession  of  the  empress’s  ear,  he  resigned.  This 
resignation  had  occasioned  such  a  ferment  among  the  nobles  and 
grandees,  that,  if  the  empress  were  to  take  an  open  part  with 
England,  she  might  possibly  pay  for  her  folly  with  her  life.  ’Tis 
certain  she  apprehends  something,  since  she  has  sent  her  son, 
the  grand  duke  and  his  wife,  on  their  travels  to  Vienna  and  Italy, 
—  an  honorable  banishment  for  three  years,  they  being  enemies  to 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


75 


England.  The  Prince  of  Orange  is  sold  to  the  English 

...  A.D.  1794. 

by  the  Duke  of  Brunswick,  his  director.  The  Orange 

faction,  finding  that  the  popular  party  is  gaining  ground  every 
day,  insist  upon  an  immediate  treaty  with  France ;  for  a  joint 
prosecution  of  the  war,  and  a  treaty  of  commerce  with  America, 
have,  in  combination  with  the  British  ministry,  pushed  the  busi¬ 
ness  of  the  Russian  mediation,  to  amuse  the  public  with  the  idea 
of  peace,  that  no  preparation  may  be  made  during  the  winter  for 
the  ensuing  campaign,  and  to  prevent  the  proposed  treaties  with 
France  and  America. 

“  The  emperor  has  turned  his  back  on  the  English,  and,  taking 
advantage  of  the  present  times,  is  demolishing  all  the  fortifications 
of  the  barrier  towns  in  this  country  where  the  Dutch  kept  garri¬ 
sons  ;  and  it  seems  that  the  states-general  have  agreed  to  with¬ 
draw  their  troops.  We  do  not  know  that  the  system  of  France 
will  be  altered  by  the  death  of  Count  Maurepas ;  but  of  this  we 
shall  be  better  able  to  judge  when  his  successor  is  appointed.” 

Sent,  with  Mr.  A.  Lee’s  compliments,  to  Governor  Lee  of 
Maryland. 

FRED.  A.  LEE. 

After  making  the  tour  of  Europe  in  the  service  of  his  country, 
he  returned  to  Virginia,  where  he  continued  in  public  life  up  to 
the  time  of  his  death,  which  took  place  Dec.  12,  1792,  at  his 
residence  in  Rappahannock  County,  Va.  For  his  literary  and 
scientific  attainments,  he  was  eminent  in  both  countries ;  and 
many  of  his  valuable  productions  are  still  preserved. 


?6 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


The  Ludwell  Family  was  of  German  descent.  Through 

A.D.  1694.  .  .  & 

their  mother,  Philip  and  John  Ludwell  were  descendants 
of  the  famous  Lord  Cottington,  of  whom  we  have  a  full  account  in 
Clarendon's  “  History  of  the  Rebellion.”  Philip  Ludwell  went  to 
America  in  1694,  as  governor  of  Carolina,  from  whence  he  went  to 
Virginia,  and  married  the  widow  of  Sir  William  Berkeley.  Their 
only  daughter  married  Col.  Parke  ;  and  their  son  Philip  married 
Miss  Harrison,  and  had  two  daughters.  Lucy,  the  eldest,  married 
Col.  Grymes,  and  Hannah  married  Thomas  Lee.  This  Philip 
Ludwell  was,  as  his  father,  of  the  council  of  Virginia. 

The  following  epitaph  of  Thomas  Ludwell,  uncle  of  the  above 
Philip,  is  still  seen  in  the  old  Williamsburg  graveyard:  — 

“Under  this  marble  lyeth  the  body  of  Thomas  Ludwell,  Esqr,  Secretary  of 
Va,  and  who  was  born  at  Bruton,  in  the  County  of  Somerset,  in  the  Kingdom 
of  England,  and  departed  this  life  in  the  year  1678  ;  and  near  this  lye  the  bodies  of 
Richd  Kemp,  Esqr,  his  predecessor  in  the  secretary’s  office ;  and  Sir  Thomas 
Lunsford,  knight.  In  memory  of  whom  this  marble  is  placed  by  order  of  Philip 
Ludwell,  Esqr.,  nephew  of  said  Thomas  Ludwell,  in  the  year  1727.” 

Henry  Lee,  fifth  son  of  Richard  Lee,  whose  issue 

A.D.  1671. 

forms  the  fourth  branch  handed  down  to  us,  was  born  in 
Virginia,  and,  like  his  brothers,  was  a  member  in  the  early  coun¬ 
cils  of  the  colony.  He  married  a  Miss  Bland,  of  whose  family 
Mr.  Campbell  thus  speaks:  — 

“  The  Blands  of  Virginia  derive  their  name  from  Bland,  a  place 
in  Westmoreland  or  Cumberland,  England.  William  de  Bland 
flourished  in  the  reign  of  Edward  III.,  and  did  good  service  in 
the  wars  which  that  king  carried  on  in  France,  in  company  with 
John  of  Gaunt,  Earl  of  Richmond.  Thomas  de  Bland  obtained  a 
pardon  of  Richard  the  Second,  for  the  death  of  a  person  slain  in 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


77 


a  duel,  by  the  interposition  of  his  friend,  the  Duke  of 

A.D.  1671. 

Guyenne  and  Lancaster.  Edmund  Bland,  a  merchant 
in  Spain  (1643),  removed  to  Virginia,  and  settled  at  Kimages,  in 
Charles-city  County.  Theodoric  Bland  left  three  sons,  of  whom 
the  second  was  born  at  Berkeley  (1665).  His  second  wife,  Eliza¬ 
beth,  daughter  of  Col.  William  Randolph  of  Turkey  Island;  and 
their  eldest  son  was  Richard,  afterwards  a  member  of  the  old 
Congress,  and  whose  seat  was  called  ‘Jordon’s  Point.’”*' 

This  Richard  was  the  father  of  the  Miss  Bland  here  referred 
to :  — 

“  Theodoric  Bland,  the  father  of  Richard,  settled  at  Westover, 
upon  James  River,  Charles-city  County,  1654,  and  died  23d  April, 
1671,  aged  forty-one  years,  and  was  buried  in  the  chancel  of  the 
church,  which  he  built  and  gave,  together  with  ten  acres  of  land, 
a  court-house,  and  prison,  for  the  county  and  parish.  He  lies 
buried  in  the  Westover  Churchyard,  between  two  of  his  friends  ; 
the  church  having  long  since  fallen  down.  He  was  of  the  king’s 
council,  and  speaker  of  the  house  of  burgesses,  and  was,  in  fortune 
and  understanding,  inferior  to  no  man  of  his  time  in  the  country. 
He  married  Ann,  daughter  of  Richard  Burnet,  sometime  governor 
of  the  colony.”  t 

By  the  marriage  of  Henry  Lee  and  Miss  Bland,  there  were 
three  children,  —  two  sons  and  a  daughter.  Richard  Lee  of  Lee 
Hall,  the  eldest,  married  a  Miss  Poythress  of  Prince  George, 
whose  family  we  have  not  obtained. 

Henry  Lee,  second  son,  married  a  Miss  Grymes,  whose  family 
we  will  notice  more  fully ;  and  the  only  daughter  married  a  Fitz- 
hugh. 

*  See  Mr.  Charles  Campbell’s  “  History  of  Virginia,”  p.  161. 
t  See  Bland  Papers,  vol.  i.  p.  148. 


73 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


^  Henry  Lee  of  Stafford,  and  Lucy  Grymes,  were  mar¬ 

ried  at  Green-Spring,  on  Saturday,  ist  December,  1753, 
by  the  Rev.  William  Preston  of  James  City. 

Henry  Lee  was  a  member  of  the  house  of  burgesses,  and  took 
an  active  part  in  all  the  exciting  events  of  his  time. 

“  Lucy  Grymes,  who  married  Henry  Lee,  is  reported  to  be  a 
descendant  of  Major  John  Grymes,  whose  father  was  Gen.  Thomas 
Grymes,  under  Cromwell.  His  epitaph  is  as  follows:  — 

“  *  Here  lies  interred  the  body  of 

The  Hon.  John  Grymes,  Esqr,  who  for 
many  years  acted  in  the  public 
affairs  of  this  Dominion  with 
honor,  fortitude,  fidelity  to  their 
Majesty’s  King  George  I.  and  II. 

Of  the  Council  of  State,  of  the 
Royal  Perogative,  of  the  liberty 
and  property  of  the  subject,  a 
Zealous  asserter.  On  the  seat 
of  Judgment  clear,  sound,  unbiassed. 

In  the  office  of  Receiver  General  punctual 
approved.  Of  the  College  of  William  &  Mary' 
an  ornament,  visitor,  patron. 

Beneficent  to  all,  a  pattern  of  true 
piety.  Respected,  loved,  revered. 

Lamented  by  his  family,  acquaintance, 

Country'.  He  departed  this  life  the 
2nd  day  of  November,  1748,  in  the 
57th  year  of  his  age.’” 

Green-Spring,  which  is  frequently  mentioned  in  connection 
with  the  Lees,  was  the  residence  of  Sir  William  Berkeley,  which 
was  granted  to  him  in  1669.  It  was  afterwards  the  temporary 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


79 


residence  of  President  Lee  during  his  administration  of 

.  A.D.  1750. 

the  colony.  In  1676,  Green-Spring  was  plundered  by 
Bacon  and  his  followers,  during  the  rebellion.  Of  this  the  gov¬ 
ernor  complained  much,  that  “  his  dwelling-house  at  Green-Spring 
was  almost  ruined,  his  household  goods,  and  others  of  great 
value,  totally  plundered ;  that  he  had  not  a  bed  to  lye  on  ;  two 
great  beasts,  three  hundred  sheep,  seventy  horses  and  mares,  all 
his  corn  and  provisions,  taken  away.” 

The  Assembly  of  Virginia  was  held  at  Green-Spring  in  1677. 
An  interesting  description  is  given  of  the  old  mansion  in  “  The 
Virginia  Historical  Register.” 

Henry  Lee  left  a  large  family,  —  six  sons  and  five  daughters. 

First,  Col.  Henry  Lee  (Light-Horse  Harry),  who  married  twice. 
Charles  Lee,  the  second  son,  first  married  a  daughter  of  Richard 
H.  Lee.  His  second  wife  was  Margaret,  widow  of  Yelverton 
Peyton,  and  youngest  daughter  of  the  Rev.  John  Scott. 

John  died  early.  The  remaining  sons,  Richard,  Theodoric, 
and  Edmund  G.,  married ;  and  their  families  are  now  represented 
throughout  the  State. 

Of  the  five  daughters,  two  died  young.  Mary  married  a  Fen- 
dall ;  and  Nancy  married  William  B.  Page,  of  whose  family  we 
gather  the  following :  — 

“  William  Byrd  Page  was  the  grandson  of  John  Page  of 
London,  supposed  to  have  been  knighted  for  proposing  a  regula¬ 
tion  on  the  tobacco-trade  and  duty  thereon.  (See  Auto,  of  Gov. 
Page.)  Roswell  on  the  York,  the  former  seat  of  the  Pages,  is  still 
standing,  a  monument  of  colossal  grandeur,  and  fully  justifies  the 
immense  wealth  of  its  owner,  whose  landed  estate  was  computed 
at  nearly  thirty  thousand  acres,  scattered  throughout  Virginia. 
The  family  is  still  represented  throughout  the  country,  many 
of  whom  have  been  distinguished  in  public  affairs.” 


So 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


Gen.  Henry  Lee,  first  son  of  Henry  Lee  of  Stafford, 
was  born  at  Leesylvania,  Prince  William  County,  Va., 
Jan.  29,  1756.  Much  connected  with  this  celebrated 


chieftain  is  to  be  found  in  the  history  of  the  country,  the  most 
important  parts  of  which  we  give. 

Gen.  Henry  Lee  was  educated  in  this  country.  At  an  early 
age,  he  was  intrusted  with  the  management  of  the  family  estate, 
which  was  extensive,  and  which  trust  he  most  ably  fulfilled.  In 
1776,  he  was  appointed  captain  of  a  cavalry  company,  with  which, 
under  the  command  of  Col.  Bland,  he  joined  the  provincial  army, 
under  Washington.  By  a  strict  system  of  discipline,  and  great 
care  of  his  men  and  horses,  he  gained  distinction,  and  attracted 
the  notice  of  his  commanding  officers.  In  1778,  congress  pro¬ 
moted  him  to  the  rank  of  major,  for  gallant  conduct;  and,  with  a 
fine  corps  of  cavalry  and  infantry,  his  command  soon  became 
celebrated,  and  was  known  as  the  famous  “  Lee’s  Legion,”  which 
formed  the  rear-guard  to  Gen.  Greene’s  army  in  his  retreat  to 
Virginia  before  Cornwallis.  After  participating  in  many  of  the 
principal  actions  in  North  and  South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  Col. 
Lee,  after  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis,  was  appointed,  in  the  fall 


of  1786,  a  delegate  to  congress  from  Virginia,  in  which 
station  he  remained  until  the  permanent  Constitution  of 


A.D.  1786. 


the  United  States  was  established,  after  which  he  was  a  member 


of  the  Virginia  convention  of  1788,  which  ratified  the 
Constitution,  in  aid  of  which  he  was  a  zealous  advocate. 


A.D.  1788. 


He  was  afterwards  a  delegate  for  his  native  State. 

In  1792,  retiring  from  the  assembly,  he  was  raised  to 

A.D.  1792.  ... 

the  gubernatorial  chair,  which  he  filled  with  great  dis¬ 
tinction  for  three  successive  years. 

During  the  rebellion  in  Western  Pennsylvania,  Gen.  Washing- 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


8l 


ton  appointed  Gov.  Lee  to  the  command  of  the  forces 

.  .  A.D.  r799- 

to  put  down  that  disturbance,  which  he  most  effectually 

did.  In  1799,  he  was  again  chosen  a  member  to  congress,  and, 

while  there,  pronounced  his  great  eulogy  upon  Washington. 

Upon  the  accession  of  Mr.  Jefferson  to  the  presidency,  he 
retired  to  private  life,  in  which  he  remained  to  his  death.  During 
the  latter  part  of  his  life,  he  prepared  his  excellent  memoirs  of 
the  “  Southern  Campaigns,”  a  work  which,  a  distinguished  writer 
says,  “If  not  remarkable  for  great  polish  of  style,  is  entitled,  from 
its  bold,  manly,  and  sincere  tone,  as  well  as  the  power  of  the  de¬ 
scriptions,  and  the  interest  of  the  information,  to  rank  with  the 
best  works  relating  to  the  Revolutionary  War.” 

In  1814,  Gen.  Lee  received  such  serious  injuries, 

A.D.  1S14. 

during  a  Baltimore  not  which  he  was  attempting  to 
quell,  that  his  health  rapidly  declined.  He  sought  the  mild 
climate  of  the  West  Indies,  hoping  to  allay  the  disease;  but, 
while  on  his  way  home  to  the  United  States,  he  died  on  Cumber¬ 
land  Island,  near  St.  Mary’s,  Ga.,  March  25,  1818. 

Gen.  Lee  married  twice,  —  first,  Matilda,  daughter  of  Philip 
Ludwell,  of  whose  family  we  have  already  given  a  sketch.  By 
this  wife  he  had  two  children, —  Henry  Lee,  who  was  major  in 
the  war  of  1812,  and  a  daughter  Lucy.  The  second  wife  of  Gen. 
Lee  was  Ann,  daughter  of  Charles  Carter,  Esq.,  and  sister  of  the 
celebrated  Robert  Carter  of  Crotoman,  alias  “  King  Carter,”  an 
interesting  account  of  whom  is  to  be  found  in  Mr.  Charles  Camp¬ 
bell’s  work,  from  which  we  take  the  following:  — 

“Robert  Carter  (sometimes  called  Robin)  married,  first,  Judith 
Armstead,  and,  secondly,  Betty,  a  descendant  of  the  noble  family 
of  Landons,  by  whom  he  left  many  children.  His  portrait,  and 
that  of  one  of  his  wives,  are  still  preserved  at  ‘Shirley,’  on  James 


II 


82 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


River,  the  seat  of  Hill  Carter,  Esq.  The  arms  of  the  Carters 
bear  cart-wheels  vert;  John  Carter,  first  of  the  family,  and  one 
of  the  council,  is  mentioned  in  Henning’s  “Statutes  at  Large;” 
also  Edward  Carter,  burgess,  and  member  of  the  council.  Rob¬ 
ert  Carter,  owing  to  his  ample  extent  of  territory  in  the  northern 
neck  of  Virginia,  which  is  reported  to  have  been  three  hundred 
thousand  acres  of  land,  and  one  thousand  slaves,  acquired  the 
soubriquet  of  ‘  King  Carter.’  He  died,  and  was  buried  at  his 
residence,  Aug.  4,  1732,  aged  69.” 

Speaking  of  Robert  Carter,  Grigsby,  in  his  eloquent  report  on 
the  Virginia  Assembly  of  1776,  says, — 

“  The  ‘  king,’  as  a  boy  of  fourteen,  had  known  Sir  William 
Berkeley,  had  played  on  the  lawn  of  Green-Spring,  and  might 
have  seen  the  aged  cavalier,  when,  in  search  of  health,  he  em¬ 
barked  for  England,  to  revisit  his  rural  home  no  more.” 

The  children  of  the  second  wife  of  Gen.  Henry  Lee 

A.D.  1818. 

are  three  sons  and  two  daughters ;  namely,  Charles 
Carter  Lee,  Esq.,  of  Powhattan,  Va.,  Sydney  Smith  Lee,  who  was 
a  commodore  in  the  United-States  navy  in  i860,  and  Gen. 
Robert  Edward  Lee,  now  president  of  Washington  College, 
Lexington,  Va.  The  two  daughters  were  Anne  Lee  and  Mil¬ 
dred  Lee. 


“  This  Pedigree  &  y  Deeds  were  Extracted 
[i]  “by  Us,  Charles  Townley,  York; 

John  Pomfret,  Rouge  Croix. 
August  i“  1750.” 


Hugo  de  Lega  sive 

[2]  de  le  in  charta 

valde  antiqua 
sine  data. 


Reginaldus  de  la  Le 

[3]  cui  Willus  filius  Willi 

lilii  Alani  ad  peticcem 
Fulconis  filii  Warini 
concefsit  terras. 


Joties  de  Lee,  Miles  cui  = 

[4]  Hugo  de  Hinton  dedit 

terras  per  chartam 
sine  data:  vixit  A0.  26:  E:  1. 
pater  Thomae  de  la  Lee 
A0.  30.  E:  1. 

fu 


Petronilla  filia 


Thomas  de  la  Lee  Miles, 
concefsit  Reginaldo  de 
la  Lee  filio  suo  pmogenito 
Viliam  de  Lee  subtus 
Pebenhull. 


Thomae  Corbet, 
Militis. 


Reginaldus  de  la  Lee  = 
cui  pater  ejus  dedit 
villain  de  Lee  ;  supstes 
A0.  14 :  E.  2. 


Thomas  de  la  Lee, 
filius  junior. 


Alicia,  uxor 
ejus  vixit 
A°.  13.  E.  2. 


Jones  de  la  Lee  Miles 
filius  Reginaldi,  Dfius 
de  Roden,  A0.  15  E  :  2. 
et  A0.  1  E.  3. 


=  Matilda,  filia 

Henrici  de  Erdington. 


Jones  de  la  Lee  Miles,  = 
filius  Johis  de  la  Lee 
Militis.  A0.  32.  E.  3.  et 
33 ;  E-  3- 


Matilda  de  la  Lee 

1  E:  3. 


Robertus  de  la  I  ee 
filius  Johis  de  la  Lee 
Dni  de  Roden,  A°. 

8.  R  :  2. 


Margareta  filia  et  haeres 
Thomae  Astley  de  Nordley. 


X_> 


I3 

Thomas. 


I_i 


[IO] 


I 

Rogerus  de  la  Lee 
filius  et  haeres,  primus 
Dnus  de  Langley. 


Johanna,  filia  et  haeres 
Edvardi  Burnell. 


[ii] 


[12] 


I 

Robertus  de  Lee, 
de  Langley  in  Coin.  Salop. 


Petronilla,  uxor  ejus  ut  apparet 
p  :  chartam  dat :  A0  r  i  :  H.  4, 
et  aliam  17  ;  H.  6.  et  aliarn  A0.  20.  Hen.  6. 


I 

Radulphus  de  Lee, 
Superstes  25  H.  6.  et  18 
E.  4.  Obijt  A0.  19  E.  4. 


Isabella,  filia  Jacobi  Ridley; 
fuit  vidua  A0.  20.  E.  4. 


[1 3] 


I 

Ricardus  Lee  de 
Langley  in  Com.  Salop  A°.  20 

E.  4. 


Margeria,  filia  et  cohaeres 
Fulconis  Sprer.chofs,  Militis. 


i4  .  I2 

Radulphus.  Ricardus  Lee 

=  —  filia, 

5  1 

Johannes.  Margeria, 

|2 

Johanna, 

Alicia  filia  = 

of  Langley  in 

— 

uxor  Francisci 

uxor 

Ric'  Cornwall, 

Com.  Salop  :  fil  : 

Macocks. 

Lingen  Armig1. 

Thomas 

de  Berrington  in 

2dU3  yjxit  I 

Vernon. 

Com.  Hereford 

H.  7. 

Militis.  uxor  i”1”. 

I 

Elizabetha  filia  et  haefes  ; 

nupta  Thomas  Kinaston 

[15] 

I 

de  Cotton. 

Thomas  Lee  de  = 

=  Jana,  filia  Rob*‘ 

Langley  in  Com. 

Corbet,  de  Morton, 

Salop :  Ar. 

Militis. 

XjH: 


Jocofa,  filia 
—  Packingtou. 


Elizabetha,  filia  et 
haeres,  Th°  Corbyne. 


Johanna,  filia  Rob,i  Morton 
de  Houghton,  in  Com.  Salop. 


[9] 


[17] 


[iSJ 


Thomas  Lee  = 

fil :  2dus. 


Fulco  Lee  = 
de 

Langley  in 
Com.  Salop  : 
filius  et 
haeres. 

[14] 


—  fil:  &  haeres, 
—  Hoke. 


Elizabetha,  filia 
Johis  Leighton 
Arm.  uxor  2da. 


Margareta,  uxor 
Reginaldi  Williams. 


Humfridus  Lee 
de  Cotton  in 
Com.  Salop. 

[19] 


Katherina,  filia 
Johannes  Blount 
de  Yro. 


I 

Anna  nupta 
Johi  Kinge. 


Laia:  i_.a: 


I1  I2 

1 

I3 

4 

|s 

|6  2 

Jocofa,  Dorothea, 

Richardus  — 

=  Elianora, 

I  ana, 

Maria, 

Margareta, 

Katherina,  Jerommus 

uxor  Rob",  uxor  Ric’ 

Lee,  de 

lilia  Walteri 

uxor 

uxor 

uxor  Hugonis 

uxor  Edvardi 

Morton  de  Purfell. 

Langley  in 

Wrotesley  de 

Edn 

Edri 

Bollock  de 

Corbet  de 

Houghton 

juxta  Shipnall. 

Com  Salop. 

A*: 

Wrotesley  in 

Com.  Staff: 

Moore. 

Plowden 

de 

Plowden  in 

Corn:  Salop. 

Morton,  Say. 

Longnor. 

7l 

Sufanna. 


[16] 


|2 

Walterus 

|l 

Jana, 

i1 

Humfridus  = 

=  Margareta, 

|2 

Dorothea, 

|  i 

3 

Iohanna, 

4 

Maria, 

5 

Elizabetha, 

3 

F  ranciscus 

6I 

Katherina, 

4I 

Edvardus 

Lee, 

uxor 

Lee,  de 

filia  Reginaldi 

uxor  Thomae 

uxor 

uxor 

uxor 

Lee 

uxor  Johis 

Lee 

2  filius. 

Ric' 

Langley  in 

Corbet  A?: 

Mackworth 

Ric1’  Powell, 

Henrici 

Mich  is 

3  filius. 

Heyward. 

4  filius. 

Jenkin. 

Com.  Salop: 

renius  Justic: 

de  Belton, 

de  Ednop. 

Vannor 

Lister. 

Baronettus. 

Banco  Regis. 

Strange  in 

.  de 

A°.  1623 

Com  Salop,  Ar. 

Condover. 

Il 

! 

I 

2| 

3! 

4 

Richardus  Lee, 
filius  et  haeres 
apparens, 
of  Langley  & 
Acton  Burnell 
Salop. 


Elizabeth  dau 
Sir  Edward  Allen 
Knt.  of  London, 
died  1660. 


Margareta  uxor 
Francifci  Kinaston 
de  Oteley  in  Com 
Salop.  Militis. 


Maria, 


Cecilia, 


Alicia. 


Rachel, 
coheir  of 


Ralph  Cleaton  Esqr. 
2nd  Son  Ralph  Cleaton 
of  Oneley  Shrop‘,hiro 


Another  daughter. 


Lea  Hall. 


T  i  j  LtL 


L[S 


F  rancifcus 
Lee. 


Johannes  Lee 
de  Cotton,  in 
Kings  Nordley  in 
Coin.  Salop. 


locofa  filia  Johis 
Romney  de  Com  Wigoon 
£.  filiam  Johis  Brington 
de  Stoke. 


i  -°i 


Gilbertus,  2. 
Jasperus,  3. 
Richardus,  4. 
Edvardus,  5. 


_ [21] _ 

|l 

Thomas  Lee 
of  Cotton  in 
Kings  Nordley  in 
the  parish  of 
Aberley,  in  Co.  Salop 
Son  &  heir. 


Dorothy,  daur.  unto 
Richd.  Oteley  of 
Pitchford  in  Coin 
Salop:  Esqr. 


I 

Ferdinando,  6. 
Josias,  7. 
Willimus  s.  p.  8. 


JM 


[2 

John  Katherine, 

Jane,  = 

=  Launcelot  Lee  - 

=  Elizabeth, 

Eleanor, 

Joyce,  Mary, 

Jane  3d  dar. 

Lee  4  Dar.  married 

Dar.  of 

of  Cotton,  Esqr. 

dar.  of 

Eldest  dar. 

wife  of  Richd.  5th  Dap. 

Anne  6th  dar. 

Citizen  unto  Roger 

Thomas 

was  aged  70  yrs. 

Henry  Gough 

wife  of 

Searle. 

Martha  7"'  dar. 

of  London.  Dade. 

Clemfon 

or  thereabouts. 

of  Wolverhampton 

Thomas 

of 

A0.  1663. 

in  Corn.  Staff: 

Nicholls. 

Berrington 

(2d  wife.) 

in  Co.  Staff 

(i,c  Wife.) 

I 

I2 

1 

[23] 

I4 

5 

I6 

|l 

|2 

John 

Thomas  = 

=  Dorothy 

Richard  = 

=  Elizabeth 

Launcelot 

Thomas 

Humphry 

Dorothy 

Elizabeth  Anne  3d 

Lee, 

Lee  2d 

dar.  of 

Lee  of 

daur.  of 

Lee,  4  Son 

Lee,  s1*1  Son 

Lee,  6th  Son 

Eldest  dar. 

2d  dar.  Jane  4,h. 

Eld«. 

an  utter 

John  Eldred 

the 

Walter 

Citizen 

Citizen 

of  Cliffords 

wife  of 

wife  of 

Son 

Barrist:  of 

a  Barrister 

pish  of 

Langdon 

Fishmongp 

Draper  of 

Inne  A0. 

William 

Richd. 

dyed 

Lincolns 

of  Lincolns 

SaintOlaves 

of - 

of  London 

London 

1663. 

Bendy 

Baugh 

unmar'1 

Inne 

Inne. 

in  the 

in  Cornwall. 

A0.  1663. 

A°.  1663. 

of  Kings 

of  Alison 

M  43  1663. 

Borough  of 

Swinford 

in  Co. 

Southwrk 

in 

Coin.  Staff 

Salop. 

3d  Son 
A0.  1663. 

X.,  a:  n.  a:  a:  a: 


Dr.  John  Lee. 


[24]  _  J 

!  2 

Richard  Lee  ==  Letitia  Corbin. 


|3 

Francis 

Lee. 


J.4 

William 

Lee. 


Hancock  Charles. 
Lee. 


2  Daugh  ters. 


1  Betsy.  Lee. 

2  Ann  Lee. 


l  az  ai  az 


i_.ch: 


1 

2| 

3I 

’I 

Eldred  Launcelot  Lee 

Thomas 

John 

Dorothy. 

ast:  12:  Anno  1663. 


i1  . 

—  Ball  =  Lettuce  Lee  =  —  Corbin. 


Martha  Lee 
married  Turbi- 
-ville. 


—  Wormley  =  George  Lee 
(i3t  wife) 


—  Fairfax 
(2nd  wife) 


Daughter 


3  Sons. 


I 

|2 

Philip  Ludwell  = 

-  —  Steptoe.  Thomas 

Lee.  i9t  Son. 

Ludwell 

Lee. 

jl 

2|  ' 

Matilda 

Flora  Son. 

wife  of 

wife 

Gen.  Henry  Lee 

of 

[26] 


=  —  Aylett.  —  Pinkard  =  Richard  =  —  Aylett. 

2nd  wife.  Henry  i8t  wife. 

Lee. 


2  daughters. 


of  Rev. 


Ludwell  Lee 
of  Loudoun  Co. 


■Turbiville  =:  Hanna  =  — Maffit.  Sally 
Lee.  Lee. 


Edmund  Lee 
of  Alexandria,  V\ 


r. 

Francis 
Lightfoot 
Lee, 
mar*3 
Rebecca  Tayloe 
1769. 


I5 

William 

Lee, 

marrd 

—  Ludwell. 


Rev*  Wm  F.  Lee. 

I 

2 

3  1 

2 

Thomas 

Lee. 


Ludwell 
Lee  of 

Loudoun  Co.  Vn. 


Mary  Lee, 
wife  of 

W.  A.  Washington. 


Hanna  Lee, 
wife  of 

Corbin  Wash¬ 
ington. 


Ann  Lee  =  Clias.  Lee. 


Ann  =  Gen.  Walter  Jones. 


Eleanor  =  Girard  Alexander. 


Lee. 


—  Catherine,  missionary  to  China. 


X  ,i  i-d- !  H .  !  d 


1  [25] 

[27] 

i1 

2 

I3 

I4 

Is  i 

Richard  Lee  = 

—  Silk, 

PhUip 

F  rancis 

Thomas  = 

=  Hanna 

Henry  Lee  = 

—  —  Bland. 

heiress  of 

Lee. 

Lee 

Lee. 

daur  of 

5th  Son. 

London. 

died  un- 

—  Ludwell 

married 

of  England. 

6 

1 

2I 

Arthur 

Hanna, 

2nd  Daughter. 

Lee 

wife  of 

of 

Gawin  Corbin. 

London. 

[281 

|l 

Richard  Lee  = 

—  Poythress 

2 

Henry  Lee  = 

-  Lucy  Grymes 

I 

Daughter  =  —  Fitzhugh. 

of  Lee  Hall. 

of  Prince  George, 

V*. 

of 

Stafford,  Va. 

[29] 


|l 

Henry  Lee  = 

=  Ann  — 

=  Matilda, 

2 

Charles 

3 

John 

4 

Richard 

5 

Theodoric 

6 

Edmund 

|  5  Daurs. 

Mary  Lee  2'1  Dar. 

Col.  Rev. 

daughter 

daur 

Lee 

Lee. 

Bland 

Lee. 

I.  Lee. 

Lucy  Lee  4th  „ 

born 

Chas.  Carter 

of 

M* 

Lee. 

Nancy  Lee  5th  ,, 

Jan  29,  1756. 

2nd  wife. 

Philip  L. 

Margaret 

Letitia  Lee  i”  Da'. 

Lee. 

Peyton. 

Fanny  Lee  3>  Da'. 

ist  wife. 

Henry  Lee 

Xi 

Lucy  Lee 

Major  1813. 

L33333 


Loess: 

a:  eh: 


l 


[30] 


I 

Charles  Carter 

I2 

Sydney  Smith 

3 

General  Robert  Edward  Lee,  = 

_  Mary  Custis,  daughter 

1 1 

Mildred 

2| 

Ann 

Lee,  of 

Lee, 

bom  Jan.  19th,  1807, 

George  Washington  Parke  Custis, 

Lee. 

Lee. 

Powhattan,  V*. 

Com.  i860. 

married  30th  June,  1831. 

bom  October  ist,  1806. 

1S66. 

II 

1  I 

I2 

I2  I3 

3 

4I 

G.  W.  Custis 

Mary  Custis 

Wm.  Henry  Fitzhugh 

Annie  Carter  Eleanor  Agnes 

Robert  Edward 

Mildred  Childe 

Lee, 

Lee, 

Lee, 

Lee,  Lee, 

Lee, 

Lee, 

ist  son, 

i'1  daughter. 

2d  son. 

2d  daughter,  3d  daughter. 

3d  son. 

4th  daughter. 

born  16"“  Sept., 

1832. 

died  Oct  20th,  1862. 

STRATFORD  HOUSE.  —  Birth-place  of  Gen.  R.  E.  Lee. 


94 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


captain  in  1838.  In  1846,  Capt.  Lee  was  appointed  chief-en¬ 
gineer,  on  the  staff  of  Gen.  Wool,  in  Mexico ;  and  the  next  year 
was  brevetted  major  for  gallantry  at  the  battle  of  Cerro  Gordo, 
April  18,  1847;  and  soon  after  became  lieutenant-colonel,  by 
brevet,  on  account  of  his  services  at  Contreras  and  Cherubusco, 
Aug.  20,  1847. 

Col.  Lee  was  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Chapultepec,  and  was 
brevetted  colonel  for  his  conduct  in  that  battle.  Upon  the  return 
of  peace,  he  was  appointed  superintendent  of  the  military  academy 
at  West  Point,  which  position  he  held  from  1852  to  1855. 

In  1858,  he  again  engaged  in  active  service,  as  a  cavalry 
officer,  under  Col.  Albert  Sydney  Johnston,  and  distinguished 
himself  during  the  troubles  with  the  Indians  in  Texas. 

All  are  familiar  with  Col.  Lee’s  last  active  service  for  the 
United  States,  when,  at  the  head  of  a  corps  of  marines,  he  wras 
sent  from  Washington  to  suppress  the  “John  Brown  raid,”  at 
Harper’s  Ferry,  Va.,  at  the  close  of  the  year  1859. 

Col.  Lee  took  no  part  in  the  political  dissensions  that  agitated 
the  country  for  the  next  two  years :  he  adhered  conscientiously  to 
the  United-States  government  and  flag,  until  the  secession  of  his 
native  State.  With  her  fortunes  he  felt  bound  to  identify  himself, 
and  in  April,  1861,  resigned  his  position  in  the  United-States 
army,  and  entered  the  service  of  the  late  Confederate  States. 

It  is  unnecessary  for  us  to  refer  to  the  Christian  fidelity,  hu¬ 
manity,  and  military  skill,  the  uniform  and  distinguished  gallantry, 
with  which  Gen.  Lee  performed  his  duties,  from  the  first  hour  of 
conflict,  in  1861,  to  the  close  of  hostilities,  in  1865.  We  simply 
give  the  facts  and  dates  as  addenda  to  this  genealogy.  The  histo¬ 
rian  of  future  ages  will  do  justice  to  the  details  of  the  life  and 
character  of  the  noble  soldier. 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


95 


Since  the  close  of  the  war,  Gen.  Lee  has  occupied  the  position 
of  President  of  Washington  College,  Rockbridge  County,  Va.,  an 
ancient  institution,  which  is  fast  rising  to  renewed  life  and  useful¬ 
ness  under  his  able  supervision. 

The  following  letters  will  be  read  with  interest:  — 

Letters  from  Gen.  Lee.  —  These  letters  were  written  soon 
after  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion  :  — 

Arlington,  Va.,  April  20,  1861. 

General,  —  Since  my  interview  with  you  on  the  1 8th  inst., 
I  have  felt  that  I  ought  not  longer  to  retain  my  commission  in 
the  army.  I  therefore  tender  my  resignation,  which  I  request 
you  will  recommend  for  acceptance.  It  would  have  been  pre¬ 
sented  at  once,  but  for  the  struggle  it  has  cost  me  to  separate 
myself  from  a  service  to  which  I  have  devoted  all  the  best  years 
of  my  life,  and  all  the  ability  I  possessed. 

During  the  whole  of  that  time,  more  than  a  quarter  of  a 
century,  I  have  experienced  nothing  but  kindness  from  my  superi¬ 
ors,  and  the  most  cordial  friendship  from  my  comrades.  To  no  one, 
general,  have  I  been  as  much  indebted  as  to  yourself  for  uniform 
kindness  and'  consideration ;  and  it  has  always  been  my  ardent 
desire  to  merit  your  approbation.  I  shall  carry  to  the  grave  the 
most  grateful  recollections  of  your  kind  consideration ;  and  your 
name  and  fame  will  always  be  dear  to  me. 

Save  in  defence  of  my  native  State,  I  never  desire  again  to 
draw  my  sword.  Be  pleased  to  accept  my  most  earnest  wishes 
for  the  continuance  of  your  happiness  and  prosperity,  and  believe 
me  most  truly  yours, 

Lieut.-Gen.  Winfield  Scott,  commanding  United-States  Army. 


R.  E.  LEE. 


96 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


A  copy  of  the  preceding  letter  was  enclosed  in  the  following 
letter  to  a  sister  of  the  general,  Mrs.  A.  M. :  — 

Arlington,  Va.,  April  20,  1S61. 

My  dear  Sister,  —  I  am  grieved  at  my  inability  to  see  you. 
.  .  .  I  have  been  waiting  “  for  a  more  convenient  season,”  which 
has  brought  to  many  before  me  deep  and  lasting  regret.  Now 
we  are  in  a  state  of  war,  which  will  yield  to  nothing.  The  whole 
South  is  in  a  state  of  revolution,  into  which  Virginia,  after  a  long 
struggle,  has  been  drawn  ;  and  though  I  recognize  no  necessity 
for  this  state  of  things,  and  would  have  forborne  and  pleaded  to 
the  end  for  redress  of  grievances,  real  or  supposed,  yet,  in  my  own 
person,  I  had  to  meet  the  question,  whether  I  should  take  part 
against  my  native  State. 

With  all  my  devotion  to  the  Union,  and  the  feeling  of  loyalty 
and  duty  of  an  American  citizen,  I  have  not  been  able  to  make 
up  my  mind  to  raise  my  hand  against  my  relatives,  my  children, 
my  home.  I  have,  therefore,  resigned  my  commission  in  the 
army;  and  save  in  defence  of  my  native  State,  with  the  sincere 
hope  that  my  poor  services  may  never  be  needed,  I  hope  I  may 
never  be  called  on  to  draw  my  sword. 

I  know  you  will  blame  me  ;  but  you  must  think  as  kindly  of 
me  as  you  can,  and  believe  that  I  have  endeavored  to  do  what 
I  thought  right.  To  show  you  the  feeling  and  struggle  it  has 
cost  me,  I  send  a  copy  of  my  letter  to  Gen.  Scott,  which  accom¬ 
panied  my  letter  of  resignation.  I  have  no  time  for  more.  .  .  . 
May  God  guard  and  protect  you  and  yours,  and  shower  upon  you 
everlasting  blessings,  is  the  prayer  of  your  devoted  brother, 


r.  e.  lee. 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


97 


Private  Letter  of  Gen.  Lee.  —  The  original  of  the  following 
letter  was  found  at  Arlington  House  by  a  Federal  soldier:  — 


Arlington  House,  April  5,  1S52. 

My  dear  Son, —  I  am  just  in  the  act  of  leaving  home  for 
New  Mexico.  My  fine  old  regiment  has  been  ordered  to  that 
distant  region,  and  I  must  hasten  on  to  see  that  they  are  properly 
cared  for.  I  have  but  little  to  add  in  reply  to  your  letters  of 
March  26,  27,  and  28.  Your  letters  breathe  a  true  spirit  of  frank¬ 
ness:  they  have  given  myself  and  your  mother  great  pleasure. 
You  must  study  to  be  frank  with  the  world:  frankness  is  the 
child  of  honesty  and  courage.  Say  just  what  you  mean  to  do  on 
every  occasion,  and  take  it  for  granted  you  mean  to  do  right.  If 
a  friend  asks  a  favor,  you  should  grant  it,  if  it  is  reasonable  ;  if  not, 
tell  him  plainly  why  you  cannot :  you  will  wrong  him  and  wrong 
yourself  by  equivocation  of  any  kind.  Never  do  a  wrong  thing 
to  make  a  friend  or  keep  one :  the  man  who  requires  you  to  do 
so  is  dearly  purchased  at  a  sacrifice.  Deal  kindly,  but  firmly, 
with  all  your  classmates :  you  will  find  it  the  policy  which  wears 
best.  Above  all,  do  not  appear  to  others  what  you  are  not.  If 
you  have  any  fault  to  find  with  any  one,  tell  him,  not  others,  of 
what  you  complain :  there  is  no  more  dangerous  experiment  than 
that  of  undertaking  to  be  one  thing  before  a  man’s  face,  and 
another  behind  his  back.  We  should  live,  act,  and  say  nothing 
to  the  injury  of  any  one.  .  It  is  not  only  best  as  a  matter  of  prin¬ 
ciple,  but  it  is  the  path  to  peace  and  honor. 

In  regard  to  duty,  let  me,  in  conclusion  of  this  hasty  letter, 
inform  you,  that,  nearly  a  hundred  years  ago,  there  wvis  a  day  of 
remarkable  gloom  and  darkness,  still  known  as  the  dark  day,  — 
a  day  when  the  light  of  the  sun  was  slowly  extinguished,  as  if  by 
13 


98 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY  OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


an  eclipse.  The  legislature  of  Connecticut  was  in  session  ;  and,  as 
its  members  saw  the  unexpected  and  unaccountable  darkness 
coming  on,  they  shared  in  the  general  awe  and  terror.  It  was 
supposed  by  many  that  the  last  day,  the  day  of  judgment,  had 
come.  Some  one,  in  the  consternation  of  the  hour,  moved  an 
adjournment.  Then  there  arose  an  old  Puritan  legislator,  Daven¬ 
port  of  Stamford,  and  said,  that,  if  the  last  day  had  come,  he 
desired  to  be  found  at  his  place,  doing  his  duty ;  and  therefore 
moved  that  candles  be  brought  in,  so  that  the  house  could  pro¬ 
ceed  with  its  duty.  There  was  quietness  in  that  man’s  mind,  —  the 
quietness  of  heavenly  wisdom,  and  inflexible  willingness  to  obey 
present  duty.  Duty,  then,  is  the  sublimest  word  in  our  language. 
Do  your  duty  in  all  things,  like  the  old  Puritan.  You  cannot 
do  more,  you  should  never  wish  to  do  less.  Never  let  me  or 
your  mother  wear  one  gray  hair  for  any  lack  of  duty  on  your  part. 

Your  affectionate  father, 

R.  E.  LEE. 

George  Washington  Custis  Lee. 


V 


■It  Butlentiny 


. 


V 


'Pic'h.airdsoa  &•. 


MRS.  MARY  CUSTIS  LEE. 


Mrs.  Mary  Custis  Lee,  wife  of  Gen.  Robert  E.  Lee,  was  born 
at  Arlington,  Va.,  on  the  ist  of  October,  a.d.  1808.  We  will 
give  a  short  sketch  of  the  distinguished  ancestry  of  this  lady, 
whose  portraits  once  adorned  the  walls  of  the  family  mansion  at 
Arlington. 

Daniel  Parke,  Secretary  of  the  Colony  of  Virginia,  died 
a.d.  1679,  and  was  buried  at  the  “Old  Bruton  Church,”  at 
Williamsburg,  Va.  He  left  one  son,  who  was  born  in  York 
County,  Va. 

This  son,  Col.  Daniel  Parke,  received  from  Queen  Anne  the 
appointment  of  Governor  of  Antigua,  in  the  Leeward  Islands ; 
and,  as  a  special  mark  of  her  regard,  she  presented  him  with 
her  miniature,  encircled  with  diamonds,  as  a  testimonial  to  his 
gallantry  at  the  battle  of  Blenheim.  He  bore  from  the  Duke  of 
Marlborough  the  despatch  announcing  to  the  queen  the  victory 
over  the  allied  forces.  A  portrait  of  Col.  Parke,  in  royal  dress, 
painted  by  Sir  Godfrey  Kneller,  a  protege  of  the  Duke  of  Marl¬ 
borough,  is  among  the  most  conspicuous  and  interesting  of  the 
Arlington  paintings.  A  portrait  of  Frances  Parke,  who  married 
the  Hon.  John  Custis,  and  that  of  her  husband,  are  also  in  this 


IOO 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


collection.  These  were  the  parents  of  Daniel  Parke  Custis,  who 
was  born  Oct.  15,  1711,  and  who  married  Martha  Dandridge, 
afterwards  the  wife  of  Gen.  Washington. 

o 


The  Arlington  House — i860. 


Their  four  children  were  Daniel  Parke,  Fanny  Parke,  John 
Parke,  and  Martha  Parke  Custis.  Upon  the  death  of  John  Parke 
Custis,  Gen.  Washington  adopted  his  two  youngest  children, — 
Eleanor  Parke  Custis,  and  George  Washington  Parke  Custis. 
The  former  married  Major  Lawrence  Lewis,  a  nephew  of  Gen. 
Washington:  this  lady  died  in  Clarke  County,  Va.,  in  18.52,  at 
the  advanced  age  of  seventy-four  years.  The  son,  George  Wash¬ 
ington  Parke  Custis,  married  Mary  Lee  Fitzhugh,  daughter  of 
William  Fitzhugh,  of  “  Chatham,”  opposite  Fredericksburg,  and 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


IOI 


Anne  Randolph.  These  were  the  parents  of  Mrs.  Robert  E. 
Lee. 

Mr.  Custis  remained  in  the  family  of  Gen.  Washington  until 
1799,  when  he  was  appointed  a  cornet  of  horse,  and  afterwards 
aide-de-camp  to  Major-Gen.  Charles  C.  Pinckney  of  South  Caro¬ 
lina.  The  present  Arlington  mansion  was  built  by  Mr.  Custis, 
and  upon  the  estate  left  him  by  his  father,  which  consisted  of 
eleven  hundred  acres  of  land  on  the  Potomac  River,  opposite 
Washington  City :  a  very  large  tract  of  land,  about  four  miles 
in  the  rear,  was  also  bequeathed  him  in  the  will  of  Gen.  Wash¬ 
ington. 

Mr.  Custis  was  a  gentleman  of  refined  and  cultivated  tastes, 
and  his  love  of  art  continued  through  life.  We  venture,  in  illus¬ 
tration,  to  insert  a  copy  of  the  following  letter  to'  the  artist, 
Rembrandt  Peale :  — 

Arlington  House,  Va.,  August,  1857. 

Dear  Sir,  —  Yours  of  the  6th  inst.  came  duly  to  hand.  It 
is  a  most  gratifying  event  to  me  to  receive  a  letter  from  an  octo¬ 
genarian.  It  calls  up  the  recollection  of  other  days,  —  the  fond, 
endearing  memories  of  the  past :  indeed,  my  dear  sir,  I  am  myself 
‘  no  chicken,’  having  entered  upon  my  seventy-seventh  year. 
Honor  to  the  memory  of  the  soldier-artist,  who  hung  up  his 
palette,  girded  on  his  sword,  and  fought  a  campaign  in  the  War 
for  Independence ;  then  resumed  his  palette,  and  painted  the  por¬ 
traits  of  the  general  officers ;  and  without  whose  artistic  labors  we 
should  not  have  the  likeness  of  the  illustrious  soldier,  Greene,  who 
was  second  only  to  him  who  was  first  of  all.  The  provincial 
colonel  of  1772  is  in  fine  preservation,  and  always  admired.  I 
have  the  first  and  last  of  the  distinguished  and  reliable  portraits 
of  Washington  at  Arlington  House,  twenty-four  years  between 


102 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY  OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


them ;  Peale’s  and  Sharpless’.  Wishing  you  every  success  in 
your  artistic  labors,  which,  it  appears,  suffer  no  decline  from  your 
venerable  age,  I  remain,  dear  sir, 

Very  truly  and  faithfully  yours, 

geo.  w.  P.  CUSTIS. 

Mr.  Custis  died  at  Arlington,  on  the  ioth  October,  a.d.  1857, 
leaving  his  beautiful  house  to  his  daughter  Mary,  now  wife  of 
Gen.  Lee. 

In  the  calm  dignity  and  intelligence  of  this  honored  lady,  we 
trace  the  hereditary  expression  of  many  of  these  ancient  family 
portraits.  Mrs.  Lee  was  mother  of  seven  children,  all  born  pre¬ 
vious  to  the  Mexican  war.  “One  is  not,”  —  the  second  daughter, 
Anne  Carter  Lee,  died  in  1862,  in  North  Carolina.  A  beautiful 
monument  has  there  been  erected  to  her  memory  by  those  who 
love  and  honor  her  father. 

The  surviving  children  of  Gen.  and  Mrs.  Lee  are  — 

George  Washington  Custis  Lee, 

Mary  Custis  Lee, 

William  Henry  Fitzhugh  Lee, 

Eleanor  Agnes  Lee, 

Robert  Edward  Lee, 

Mildred  Childe  Lee. 


#f  ©nnhtnth 

&Ls£q?  t ) 


HOUSE  OF  DITCHLY. 


From  various  records,  we  are  enabled  to  trace  the 

A.D.  1501. 

several  branches  of  the  English  Lees  to  a  later  period 
than  that  given  in  the  old  document. 

Of  the  house  of  Ditchly,  already  mentioned,  we  have  Sir  John 
Lee  of  Wiltshire,  who  was  created  a  Knight  of  the  Bath  at  the 
marriage  of  the  Prince  of  Wales,  a.d.  1501.  Time,  Henry  VII.* 
Mary  Brown  of  Arsly,  in  Bedfordshire,  was  the  second  wife  of 
Sir  John,  who  was  brother  to  Sir  Thomas  Lee,  baronet,  to  Sir 
William,  Dean  of  the  Arches,  and  to  Sir  George,  Lord  Chief 
Justice  of  England.  She  was  afterwards  married  to  Col.  Schultz. t 
The  following  inscription  is  said  to  be  upon  the  door  of  Sir 
John’s  house  at  Addington:  — 

“  In  fourteen  hundred  and  none, 

Here  was  neither  stick  nor  stone  ; 

In  fourteen  hundred  and  three, 

The  goodly  building  which  here  you  see.” 

*  Nicolas’s  Order  of  the  Bath.  t  Nichols’s  Literary  Anecdotes. 

103 


104  GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY  OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 

Sir  Henry  Lee  was  elected  and  invested  a  member 

A.D.  1597. 

of  the  Order  of  the  Garter  23d  April,  and  installed 
24th  May,  1597.  He  died  12th  February,  1611. 

Ann  Lee,  a  daughter  of  Sir  Henry,  married  a  Goodwin  of 
Buckinghamshire. 

Archdeacon  Lee  forms  the  second  member  of  the 

A.D.  1611. 

family  who  joined  this  order.  Their  Stall  Plates  are 
yet  to  be  seen  in  St.  George’s  Chapel.* 

Sir  Richard  Lee,  admiral,  was  invested  in  the  Order  of  the  Bath, 
12th  April,  1815,  and  died  6th  August,  1837.  He  was  rear-admi¬ 
ral  of  the  white  squadron  of  his  Majesty’s  fleet,  and  was  nomi¬ 
nated  a  knight  commander  of  the  Most  Honorable  Military  Order 
of  the  Bath,  2d  January,  1815. 

Capt.  Lee  received  a  medal  from  the  king,  upon  the  taking  of 
the  French  fleet,  on  the  4th  November,  1805,  which  had  escaped 
at  Trafalgar. 

The  medal  bears  the  inscription,  — 

“  Sir  Richard  Lee  Knt.,  Captain  of  H. 

M.  S.  Courageux ,  on  the  4th 
November  M.D.CCCV. 

The  French  Squadron  Taken.”! 


*  Nicolas’s  Order  of  Garter. 


t  Nicolas’s  Order  of  Bath. 


HOUSE  OF  COTTON. 


We  have  already  traced  the  Lees  of  Virginia  from 


A.D.  1663. 


this  branch  ;  but  the  “  Lees  of  Cotton  Hall  ”  were  still 
known  in  England  later  than  1838. 

Through  Eldred  Launcelot  Lee,  who  was  twelve  years  of  age 
at  the  close  of  the  old  record,  and  the  first  son  of  Thomas  Lee, 
and  grandson  of  Launcelot  Lee  of  Cotton,  we  continue  to  trace 
this  line. 

Launcelot  Lee  of  Cotton,  1750,  as  mentioned  in  the 
article  of  Mr.  William  Lee  of  London,  is  doubtless  a  son 
of  Eldred  Launcelot  Lee.  This  Launcelot  Lee  had  a  daughter 
Dorothy,  who  married  Edward  Bathurst,  F.  A.  S.,  Esq.,  of  that 
year;  also  another  daughter,  Mary,  who  married  Dr.  William 
Carter  of  Canterbury :  she  was  married  a.d.  i  786,  and 

A.D.  1815. 

died  1815.  Dr.  Carter  was  born  1755,  and  died  1822. 

The  sons  of  Launcelot  Lee  are  not  given. 


A.D.  1750. 


The  Rev.  Henry  Lee  of  Kingsgate  House,  Hants,  is  a  repre¬ 
sentative  of  this  branch  of  the  family.  He  married  Phillippa, 
daughter  of  Sir  William  Blackstone,  knight,  of  the  Priory  of 


14 


*  Burke’s  Landed  Gentry  of  England. 

io5 


io6 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


Willinsrford.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Lee  died  in  1818,  leaving: 

A.D.  1S3S.  &  0  & 

two  sons.  First,  Rev.  Henry  Lee  of  Kingsgate  House, 
Hants,  J.  F.  B.  D.  of  New  College,  Oxford,  and  Vicar  of  North 
Bradly,  near  Trowbridge,  1832;  a  prebendary  of  Hereford,  and 
fellow  of  Winchester  College.  He  married  Julia,  eldest  daughter 
of  George  Lowther,  Esq.,  late  of  Kilven,  County  Meath. 

William,  the  second  son  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lee,  was  born  1796. 
He  married,  in  1836,  Elizabeth  Thomson  of  Aubry,  Sussex.* 

“  Thomas  Lee,  Esq.,  descended  from  a  very  ancient 

A.D.  1S06.  .  .  \ 

family,  of  Lee  of  Cotton,  Shropshire.  He  married  Ann, 
sister  of  the  celebrated  John  Warner,  bishop  of  Rochester;  and 
was  father  of  the  venerable  Archdeacon  Lee,  whose  son,  Col. 
Henry  Lee  of  Donjon,  Canterbury,  married  Dorothy,  daughter 
of  Sir  George  Grubham  Howe,  baronet,  of  Berwick.”  f 

The  family  of  Brydges ,  or  Bridges ,  succeeded  this  branch  of  the 
family,  and  bear  their  arms. 

The  ancient  family  seat,  “  Cotton  Hall,”  continued  in  the  family 
to  the  nineteenth  century,  when  it  was  conveyed  by  an  heiress  to 
the  Wingfields  of  Teckencote,  County  Rutland. 


From  further  documents,  we  are  able  to  trace  the  descendants 
of  Lancelot  Lee  to  the  year  1813,  through  his  son  Thomas  Lee, 
whose  eldest  son,  Eldred  Lancelot  Lee,  was  only  twelve  years  of 
age  at  the  close  of  the  old  genealogy,  in  1663. 

Eldred  Lancelot  Lee,  born  at  Cotton,  1651. 


*  Burke’s  Landed  Gentry. 


t  Burke’s  Commoners  of  England. 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


IO7 


Lancelot  Lee  and  Harry  Lee,  warden  of  Winchester  College. 

Harry  Lancelot  Lee  of  Cotton,  living  at  Bath,  England,  with 
his  wife,  and  daughter  Catherine  Ann  Harriet  Lee,  in  1813. 

Of  the  English  estates  we  take  the  following  interesting  facts 
from  the  family  records :  — 

“  The  Viliam  de  Lee ,  subtus  Pebenhull,  unknown  now. 

“  The  Langlev  Estate  went  off  early,  by  Roger  Lee ;  very 
valuable. 

“The  Roden  Estate  remains  unaccounted  for;  also  valuable. 

“  The  Coke  Estate,  supposed  to  be  in  Derbyshire;  also  unac¬ 
counted  for. 

“  The  Astley  Estate,  the  Cotton  Estate,  and  the  Nordley  Estate, 
united,  formed  three  thousand  acres,  and  were  handed  down  till 
1786,  when  fourteen  hundred  acres  were  sold  of  Astley  and  Nord¬ 
ley.  The  manorial  rights  remain,  and  the  seniorage  of  the  village 
of  Allerbey  (or  Alverly).  Part  of  the  Cotton  Estate  now  in 
possession  includes  a  part  of  the  Astley  Estate,  which  came  into 
and  remained  with  this  family  since  Robert  Lee’s  marriage  with 
Margaret  Astley,  in  1385,  now  four  hundred  and  thirty-four  years. 

“  Allerbey  Church  is  supposed  to  be  built  upon  land  given  by 
Hugh  Hinton  to  John  Lee,  in  1295,  and  to  have  remained  in 
this  family  for  more  than  five  hundred  and  twenty-four  years ; 
and  a  part  of  this  land  is  said  to  have  remained  with  the  family 
since  the  first  grant  from  William  of  Normandy  to  his  followers, 
more  than  seven  hundred  years  since,  by  what  was  termed  his 
farewe.ll  grants.” —  Carta  Valde  Antigua. 


Lees  of  England 


HOUSE  OF  LANGLEY. 


Sir  Richard  Lee 
of  Langley  and 
Acton-Burnel 
Shropshire  —  Bt. 
Died  1660. 


Elizabeth,  daughter 
of  Sir  Edward  Allen  Kt. 


1 - 

Rachel  Lee 
Eldest  daughter. 


Richd  Cleaton,  Esqr 
2nd  son  of  Ralph  Cleaton 
of  Onely,  Shropshire. 


Sir  Edward 
Smyth  Esqr 
Baronet. 
1674. 


Alathea 

Cleaton 


Watkins  Williams 
Wynn  Esqr  of 
Voclas. 


Mary  Lee 
2nd  daughter. 


Eldest  daughter  married  Second  daughter  married 

Thomas  Ashton  Smyth  Esqr  Hon.  Chas.  Finch. 

ofTedworth  Hants. 


We  have  already  seen,  from  Article  [16],  that  the  male  line  of  Langley  expired  in  1660.  The 
family  estate  and  arms  were  afterwards  held  by  the  Smyth,  or  Smith,  Family,  which  is  still  largely 
represented  throughout  England. 

109 


nrghuul  Igees. 


We  have  already  mentioned  Philip  Lee,  second  son  of  Richard 
Lee,  as  the  first  of  the  family  established  in  Maryland.  He 
moved  into  the  State  early  in  1700,  and  died,  according  to  his 
will,  in  1 744.  He  was  married  twice,  and  left  a  large  family,  — 
nine  sons,  and  eight  daughters.  The  sons  were  Richard  of  Blen¬ 
heim,  Thomas,  —  the  father  of  Gov.  Thomas  Sim  Lee,  and 
grandfather  of  the  present  Hon.  John  Lee,  ex-congressman  of 
Maryland, —  Philip,  Corbin,  Hancock,  Arthur,  John,  and  George. 

Thomas  Sim  Lee  was  born  in  Prince-George  County,  Md.,  in 
1745,  and  held  many  important  offices,  a  list  of  which  we  sub¬ 
join  :  — 

In  1777,  Thomas  Sim  Lee  was  elected  by  the  legislature  of 
Maryland  a  member  of  council  to  the  governor. 

1779.  Was  elected  by  the  legislature  the  second  republican 
governor. 

1782.  Having  served  the  constitutional  term  of  three  years, 
the  General  Assembly  vote  their  thanks. 

1787.  Was  appointed  by  the  General  Assembly  a  deputy  to 
attend  the  meeting  at  Philadelphia,  on  the  second  Monday  in 
May,  —  convention  that  formed  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States.  He  did  not  serve. 


Ill 


I  12 


GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY 


1788.  The  Maryland  Convention  assembled  at  Annapolis,  April 
21,  and  ratified  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  April  28, 
by  a  vote  of  sixty-three  to  eleven.  Gov.  Lee  was  a  delegate  to 
this  convention,  with  Gov.  Johnson  and  Richard  Potts,  from  Fred¬ 
erick  County.  Gov.  Johnson  and  Gov.  Lee  were  the  two  electors 
from  Frederick  County,  to  choose  the  Senate  of  Maryland  for  a 
term  of  five  years;  being  the  first  Senate  chosen  after  the  adoption 
of  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States. 

From  1792  to  1794,  Gov.  Lee  served  again  as  governor  of 
Maryland. 

1794.  Unanimously  elected  a  member  of  the  Senate  of  Mary¬ 
land.  He  declined  the  appointment* 

1794.  Was  appointed  by  President  Washington  a  commis¬ 
sioner  of  the  city  of  Washington ;  declined  the  appointment. 

1798.  Again  elected  governor,  but  declined  to  accept,  having 
retired  from  public  life.  Gov.  Lee  died  at  his  farm,  Needwood 
Forest,  in  Frederick  County,  Nov.  9,  1819,  forty  years  from  the 
day  he  was  first  elected  governor  of  Maryland. 

We  also  add  a  letter  from  Gen.  Knox,  Secretary  of  War,  dated 
Philadelphia,  Dec.  8,  1 794,  which  will  show  the  high  estimation 
in  which  Gov.  Lee  was  held  by  Gen.  Washington  :  — 

“The  President  of  the  United  States  conceives  that  he  cannot, 
consistently  with  his  sense  of  justice,  omit  the  occasion  presented 
to  him  by  the  disbandment  of  the  militia  raised  for  the  purpose 
of  vindicating  the  laws,  without  offering  to  you  his  cordial  thanks 
for  your  zealous  and  effectual  co-operation  in  calling  the  militia 
of  Maryland  into  the  field  for  suppressing  the  late  insurrection 
in  the  western  parts  of  this  State.  It  is  with  great  pleasure 


*  See  Sparks’s  Life  of  Washington,  vol.  x. 


OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 


1 13 

that  I  obey  the  President’s  directions  in  making  this  communi¬ 
cation.” 

Gov.  Thomas  Sim  Lee  married  Mary  Digges.  Their  children 
were  — 

Ignatius, 

Thomas, 

William, 

Mary  Christian, 

Archibald, 

Eliza, 

John. 


All  deceased,  except  the  last.  Hon.  John  Lee,  now  residing 
in  Washington,  D.C.,  having  represented  his  native  State  in 
Congress  for  many  years.  This  branch  of  the  Lee  Family  have 
maintained  the  faith  of  their  parents,  who  were  faithful  Catholics, 
—  a  fact  which  is  recognized  in  the  following  notice,  introducing 
an  original  letter  of  Gen.  Washington  to  Gov.  Thomas  Sim 
Lee :  — 

“We  have  before  us  a  manuscript  letter  from  Gen.  Washington, 
which,  we  believe,  has  never  yet  been  printed.  It  is  full  of  inter¬ 
est  at  this  time,  because  it  is  addressed  to  a  Catholic,  to  his  Excel¬ 
lency,  Thomas  Sim  Lee,  then  governor  of  Maryland.  Its  purpose 
was  to  announce  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis,  and  to  notify  Gov. 
Lee  that  a  portion  of  the  prisoners  would  be  sent  within  his 
jurisdiction.  Gov.  Lee,  by  the  by,  administered  the  trust  reposed 
in  him  so  satisfactorily,  that  he  was  re-elected  with  great  una¬ 
nimity.  It  appears  that  Washington  recognized  and  appreciated 
the  fact,  that,  in  “  the  times  that  tried  men’s  souls,”  none  were 


I  14  GENEALOGICAL  HISTORY  OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. 

more  faithful  to  the  American  cause,  and  none  more  prompt  in 
making  sacrifices  for  it,  than  the  people  of  Catholic  Maryland :  — 


“Camp  near  York,  October,  1781. 

“  Dear  Sir,  —  Enclosed  I  have  the  honor  of  transmitting  to 
your  Excellency  the  terms  upon  which  Lord  Cornwallis  has  sur¬ 
rendered  the  garrisons  of  York  and  Gloucester. 

“  We  have  not  been  able  yet  to  get  an  account  of  prisoners, 
ordnance,  or  stores  in  the  departments ;  but,  from  the  best  general 
report,  there  will  be  (officers  included)  upwards  of  seven  thousand 
men,  besides  seamen ;  more  than  seven  pieces  of  brass  ordnance, 
and  one  hundred  of  iron,  with  their  stores,  as  also  other  movable 
articles.  My  present  engagements  will  not  allow  me  to  add  more 
than  my  congratulation  on  this  happy  event,  and  to  express  the 
high  sense  I  have  of  the  powerful  aid  which  I  have  derived  from 
the  State  of  Maryland  in  complying  with  every  request  to  the 
Executive  of  it.  The  prisoners  will  be  divided  between  Winches¬ 
ter,  in  Virginia,  and  Frederick,  in  Maryland. 

With  every  sentiment  of  the  most  perfect  esteem  and  regard,  I 
have  the  honor  to  be  your  Excellency’s  most  obedient  servant, 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON. 


929.2  L4821-I 


580467 


